The storied George Brown Huskies basketball program celebrated this weekend's 50th Athletics Homecoming with a pair of alumni games on Saturday at Casa Loma.

"The friendships I've made here are life lasting, George Brown is like my family away from family," says Albert DaSilva, who spent 36 years as a full-time George Brown employee, coached all four men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams all while becoming a pillar of Huskies Athletics. "George Brown is in my veins, and these alumni weekend's are so important. To come out and lead the new generation means everything. Whenever all Huskies to get together it is always special."

For Elaine Ticzon, Huskies Athletics played a crucial role in shaping who she is today. Ticzon played on the women's basketball team from 1997-2000, was an assistant coach from 2004-14 and looks back glowingly on her time at the college.

"George Brown helped shape me into the person that I am today., It's people like Albert, Alex (Barbier), Deanna (Oliver) and so many others who have made this place what it is," she says. "It's also amazing to see how much the program has grown. Being back and seeing all of the changes that have been made, it's definitely an exciting time."

Ticzon parlayed her years and growth as an athlete at GBC into an incredible career in the USFTL (United States Flag and Touch Football League), where she was recently inducted into the hall of fame and won a championship. She says that her success in life has a lot to do with being a Husky.

"My career in the USFTL is in large part thanks to the time I had here at George Brown, my development both on the court and as a person. If you come here with an open mind, amazing things can happen."

Men's basketball head coach Jonathan Smith has had an incredibly successful run heading up the men's basketball team, and believes events like the alumni games are crucial in building a successful culture.

"It's a great opportunity for us to mentor our young guys, have some guys come in who have been here before and know what it's like, guys they can really learn from," said Smith. "As far as instilling a culture, as a program we focus on three pillars: dedication, passion and family. A weekend like this is a great chance for us to continue the process of building on those values."

As one of only seven founding institutions, George Brown's history continues to trend in the right direction, largely thanks to events like Saturday's.

Alumni Games - Final Scores

Women's Game: Alumni 64 - Huskies 62

Men's Game: Alumni 78 - Huskies 75