Features

Beacon photo by Sara Bruestle

MTHS junior Cristine Lotz guards LHS junior Kelly Singleterry during a Hoops for Haiti basketball tournament game at Lynnwood High School. 


By Lynnwood High School’s registration deadline for its Hoops for Haiti basketball tournament, the school had just 10 teams signed up.  Not wanting to cancel the tournament, LHS extended the deadline.
Within a week, 60 teams had registered for the tournament.

“We were really worried that we’d have to cancel, but then people just started turning in their forms and turning in their money,” said Lynnwood’s ASB secretary Jennifer Smith.  “We went from 10 to 20, 30, 40 like boom.”

LHS raised about $2,000 with the Hoops for Haiti 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament fundraiser on Mar. 6 to help in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.

All funds from the tournament went to American Red Cross, an emergency-response organization with teams in Haiti.

At $25 a team, the school collected $1,500 in registration fees alone.  An additional $500 was raised in donations, contests and concessions.

“At first, everyone just thought that students in high school could sign up for the tournament,” said LHS sophomore Brianna Blackwood, who helped keep score and time during the games.  “But we had players as young as third grade, and the oldest I saw was probably 32.”

The 60 teams were divided into six divisions: high school boys, high school girls, middle school boys, elementary school boys, competitive adults and recreational adults.

The teams were mostly students and alumni from the Edmonds School District, including Meadowdale, Mountlake Terrace and Edmonds-Woodway high schools, but there were also teams from Mukilteo, Monroe, Lake Stevens, Everett, Snohomish, Marysville and Shoreline schools.

“We’re excited that we got the community involved like this for a great cause,” Smith said.  “We had a really good turnout.”
Mathieu Vandenvrijhoef, a Meadowdale junior, signed up for Hoops for Haiti with two of his friends from Mariner High School, juniors Jonathan Meggison and Maverick Chantha.  Their team, The Marauders, played and lost three games in the tournament.
“I wanted to help out Haiti, with everything that’s happened to them,” Vandenvrijhoef said.  “They could use [the money] more than I need it right now.”

Junior Kelly Singleterry was on the team Flip’n Mexi Feathers with friends Kayla Dumo, a junior, and Arianna Garcia, a sophomore.  Basketball isn’t their sport – the three are all on the LHS varsity volleyball team – but they had fun at the tournament anyway.

“We only played three games but ended up winning against Sassy and Classy, a team of friends from our volleyball team,” Singleterry said.  “We got schooled by the other teams, but it doesn’t really matter because we’re just doing it as a fun and easy way to help Haiti.”

Senior Anthony Nguyen said his LHS team liked competing against students from other schools.  He and his friends Shawn Ong, a junior, and Kevin Keefe, a senior, were the team 2 ½ Asians.  They won one game and lost two.

“We’ve got to show that we’re willing to help other people,” Nguyen said. “In my history class, we’ve learned that America is a superpower, and so it’s our job to go help other countries that need our help.”

Mindy James, a Mountlake Terrace junior, was on a team with her friends from the MTHS girls varsity basketball team – juniors Cristine Lotz, Mary Boxley and Kehau Calivo.  Their team, The Hawks, made it to the semi-finals of the tournament, but then lost to a team from Monroe.

“We were just messing around in the games, just having fun,” James said.  “It’s all about fun, that’s what it is.  We were smiling the whole time we played.”

For $1, players could also sign up to compete in several tournament contests, including 3-point shot, half-court shot, and bump basketball game contests.

LHS’s Royal Chef Catering and Loyal Royal Boosters sold concessions at the tournament, while ASB students helped organize the games and get prize donations from local businesses. 

“The kids came to me right after the earthquake and wanted to do something to benefit Haiti,” said ASB adviser Aly Nelson.  “It just seemed like we were coin drived out, so we decided to do basketball because a lot of people can be involved, it’s fun and we’re helping at the same time.”

The school did host a coin drive – Changing Lives for Haiti – which raised about $200, but students and teachers at LHS wanted try something different, Nelson said.

She said LHS plans to hold an annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament from now on.

“It was awesome,” Nelson said of the first LHS basketball tournament.  “I really think everyone had a great time, even the helpers who didn't get to play.”