Thompson High School will partner with a local retailer Feb 25 to celebrate Black History Month at the school.

Employees at Alabaster’s Wal-Mart will take on Thompson High School faculty members during a charity basketball game at 7 p.m. in the school’s gymnasium.

Tickets to the event will be $2, and all proceeds generated throughout the evening will be used to purchase tickets for students to attend the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, said store spokeswoman Susan Bentley.

“We do community diversity events every year, and for this year’s Black History Month, we chose to work with THS,” Bentley said. “It’s $2 to get into the basketball game, and that money will be used to purchase tickets to the Civil Rights Institute for THS students.”

The store will be giving away an MP3 player during the game’s halftime, and will present a $1,000 check to the high school.

Through its monthlong program, the school also held a Black History Month essay contest. Wal-Mart staff members will review the essays and will narrow entries to the top five before announcing the winner during the Feb. 25 event.

“We will narrow them down, and then present a flat screen TV to the essay winner during the basketball game,” Bentley said.