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Lake Havasu Press Release

Hoop it up coming to Lake Havasu City, Main Street

       Lake Havasu City. Ariz. 2007 – Basketball enthusiasts will have a chance to see some top action right in their back yards coming up later this year.
       Hoop It Up, a national tour of 3-on-3 street basketball is coming to Lake Havasu City May 5. The event will be centered in the Mainstreet district of McCulloch Boulevard. “What a great location for an event such as this,” said Dan Cunning, president of the Lake Havasu City Convention and Visitors Bureau. “With the recent resurgence of Mainstreet, and the popularity of this event, it’s a great combination,” he said.
       Mainstreet Executive Director Jim Salscheider agreed. “This will bring hundreds and hundreds of people down to the street. Competitors and spectators alike will see everything that Mainstreet Retailers, restaurants and more have to offer,” he said.
       The potential draw for this event is huge according to Cunning. “Some of these tournaments attract many hundreds of teams. Some even bring teams in by the thousands. There are teams who follow this event around the country, taking part in as many tournaments as possible. While we are looking to bring in between 100-150 teams, this event has huge potential to grow,” he said.
       Cunning said in addition to a lot of participants being drawn by the allure of Lake Havasu City, the tournament is the final chance for teams to qualify for the nationals, so a lot of teams will be in town looking to pick up those vital few points they need to make it to the tournament.
       The CVB is putting in $10,000 from it’s event funding grant budget to bring Hoop It Up to town. The city gets a lot for its money according to Cunning. “This is a turnkey kind of event,” he said. “They come recruit teams from their list of competitors, they set up the courts, they bring in the staff to run the event and everything. All we have to do is promote it on a local level,” he said.
       There are many divisions from 8 years old to seniors, women’s and co-ed teams and a Special Olympics division. All teams are guaranteed at least three games on Saturday. Playoffs and championships will be played Sunday. While the tournament is expected to attract a lot of players from around the region and country locals are encouraged to take part as well.“We hope every basketball enthusiast in Lake Havasu City will play in one of the divisions,” said Salscheider.
       There is already a lot of support for the event on a local level according to Salscheider. “Maddogs Bar and Grill and KJJJ/KNTR are title sponsors. They are setting up a lot of side events to go along with this, such as a slam dunk contest and mayoral free throw contest. Plus, retailers on the street can sponsor courts to give their businesses the added exposure of having people play and watch right in front of their business.”