Hoop Jam Event Finds a New Home at Heritage Mall

Hoop Jam finds a new home at Heritage Mall

More than 3,000 people from around Oregon and the West Coast will be on hand Aug. 9-10 at Heritage Mall as the Boys & Girls Club of Albany hosts its annual 3-on-3 Hoop Jam basketball tournament.

Teams of four — including one reserve player — in age brackets ranging from 6 to up to 19-years-old, their families and spectators will pack the mall’s parking lots and local businesses that weekend for the club’s largest fundraising event of the year.

“We have earned right around $10,000 every year,” Michelle Davis, the club’s executive director. “This year, we decided to go big or go home. Our goal is $50,000 and we’ve already raised about half of that through sponsorship and registration, which is encouraging.”

Davis hopes for an increase in participation numbers from year’s past when the final numbers are tallied.

“Registration has been going well,” she said. “I think we’ll have a 10 to 20 percent increase over last year, so that has been encouraging.”

According to Davis, about 2,000 kids are served every day by the Albany club at an average cost per child of $2,750 per year. Approximately 80 percent of those costs are covered by scholarship funds raised by events such as the 3-on-3 tournament.

“I am really encouraged that we are able to serve so many kids,” she said. “Fundraisers like this — not only this one, but all that we do — provide kids the opportunity to partake in friendly competition as well as helping the club. It’s a great time for families to get together and rally around their kids and essentially be good sports, which is something we try to teach our kids here at the club.

“Tournaments like this encourage and produce good citizens.”

Hoop Jam began in Corvallis before moving to downtown Albany and then North Albany Village. The partnership with Heritage Mall will allow patrons the benefit of a more central location that’s off the street and close to Interstate 5 and many local businesses.

“I think people will really enjoy the new location,” said club athletic director Trent Lesire. “Parking won’t be a problem, we won’t need a permit to block off a street or anything like that. Heritage Mall has been a very good sponsor and partner.”

The tournament will still be outside which, to Lesire, is key to the spirit of the event.

“Having it outside is a lot different experience than having it in a gym,” he said. “A lot of kids might have a hoop in their driveway or on their street, but when they get older they kind of move inside. We take that back on to the street, so it’s kind of a different experience for the kids and families.”

An expanded ‘Kid Zone’ will be in place at the tournament this year featuring a bounce house, face painting, a dunk tank and balloon artists.

“We are certainly looking forward to that,” Davis said. “It’s something that’s going to be a lot bigger than it has ever been and something for siblings of people not playing and for the families to partake in as well.”

Davis and Lesire have been pleased with the support of sponsors and the community, events such as this help spread the message and mission of the Boy and Girls Club of Albany.

“It helps get the Boys and Girls Club name out there and lets people know we are here,” said Lesire. “We are offering multiple opportunities for youths to better themselves personally. We want to give kids as many opportunities as possible, whether that’s through sports or our after-school programs.“

Registration is requested by Aug. 1, however, teams will be accepted up to a few days before the tournament.

Volunteers of all sorts, including referees, are welcome to contact the club as many spots are still open.