Two decades have come and gone since the first Capital City Holiday Classic.

High school basketball teams from as far away as Denver to right down the street at Leon High, go head to head tournament style.

"It's awesome to play this kind of classic with this kind of competition in your home town," said Rickards High boys basketball coach, Eli Bryant. "We played against the starting point guard at the University of Kentucky this season so to play against that caliber of kids it gives us a chance to see just how good they are or how good they aren't."

The tournament has really caught on during the past 20 years. It started off with four teams. Now they're up to 14.

Al Lawson has been the tournament chairman throughout the years.

"Every year I say I don't know if I can do it again," said Lawson. "But it's a community activity. It's something you have to be committed to expand the horizons of the kids and let them know there's an opportunity for them."

As the number of participants has grown, so has the number of events included.

Now coaches clinics are a part of the affair , where more than 100 kids can learn skills from esteemed coaches and players before the first game.

Another goal of the competition is to raise money for scholarships.

In the past 10 years, 75 kids have received help to further their education thanks to the tourney.

"Basketball is going to play out for everybody one day so they have to use basketball as a vehicle to get their education and I think this is a great thing for the kids," said Rickey McCullough, the Bainbridge High boys basketball coach.

For 2010, the Capital City Classic runs December 29 and 30 at the Al Lawson Center on FAMU's campus.