Gus Macker Hoops Tournament in Brooklyn Park To Benefit Nonprofits
In exactly one month, hundreds of basketball players will make their way to Brooklyn Park for the return of the Gus Macker basketball tournament.
Several local nonprofits stand to benefit.
“I’ve got kids from Crystal, from Bloomington, to Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis, south, north, we’re all over,” said Derray Ward, CEO of Forward Thinking Foundation.
Forward Thinking Foundation is an organization centered around basketball that mentors youth throughout the Twin Cities.
Forward thinking foundation is one of six nonprofits that will benefit from the Gus Macker tournament.
Derray Ward is CEO of Forward Thinking Foundation. It’s one of the organizations that will benefit from the Gus Macker Basketball Tournament.
The more teams that register, the more money raised for those local nonprofits.
“[Other] foundations and basketball teams, they all rent out all the gyms, so it’s hard to get gym time,” said Ward. “So the goal is to save this money, stack up, to get a community gym for Forward Thinking, and also a transportation van.”
The deadline to register for the Gus Macker is July 29. The tournament itself takes place Aug. 17-18 at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park.
Other organizations that will benefit from the tournament include:
- Minnesota Chill Foundation (providing academic and athletic programming to educate student scholars for future success)
- The Inner Hero (providing youth with educational career resources and mentorships that empower productive citizens)
- Brooklyn Park Athletic Association (benefiting the physical, mental, moral and character development of youth regardless of ability or financial status)
- Hawa’s Wings (cultivating and empowering the entrepreneurial spirit within students)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities (creating and supporting relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth).
Related: Gus Macker Basketball Tournament Coming to Brooklyn Park
