Hoops 4 Hope hosted the Inaugural H4H East End 3’s 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament on Saturday, August 20, at the East Hampton High School. The tournament began at 9 AM and each team had a minimum of three players and a maximum of five. There were 24 teams registered, 16 teams in the 13 to 17 aged bracket and eight in the adult bracket (18+).
The winning team for the younger bracket was “The Guardians of the Dog” including players Ben Zazula, Jack Freel and Michael Locasio and who were awarded a gift certificate to the Clubhouse Hamptons. The winning team for the older bracket was team “Larry Bottles” which included Lawrence Edelstein, Nick Wiener, and Ryan Essner who won four tickets to a New York Knicks game and a gift certificate to Nick & Toni’s.
The tournament was hosted by Hoops 4 Hope, a non-profit organization since 1995, that has been working in underserved communities in Cape Town, South Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe and with local schools and programs to enhance community engagement. It was played on the court that is dedicated to New York State Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Ed Petrie. Coach Petrie has won the most public high school basketball games in New York State history (total 754 wins) and was the head coach of the 1977 and 1989 East Hampton Basketball Teams, which won the New York State title those years. The event raised $12,000 for Hoops 4 Hope and there were over 150 attendees.
“We’re are so grateful for all the support we received from everyone who participated, signed up and donated to the first Hoops 4 Hope East End 3’s 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament,” said Anthony Allison, Executive Director. “It wouldn’t have been possible without this amazing community and the tremendous support we received from the East Hampton High School. From the superintendent and the new athletic director to the custodians and the tech department, everyone was super helpful in pulling off this event. The community as a whole supported Hoops 4 Hope, our mission, the spirit of Ubuntu, and we’re incredibly grateful for everyone’s support and look forward to continuing our mission. Over 20 local businesses were kind enough to donate and we couldn’t be more appreciative. A huge shout out to WordHampton for helping get the word out for us! It wouldn’t have been possible without this awesome community that we’re so honored to be a part of.”
For further information, visit hoops4hope.org.