MEDIA RELEASE

Boys & Girls Club Big Island All-Star Basketball Classic

HILO, HAWAII FEBRUARY 11, 2010: With the BIIF basketball seasons wrapping up, organizers have set the dates for the inaugural Boys & Girls Club Big Island All-Star Basketball Classic. The Classic is a collaboration with the County of Hawaii Parks & Recreation and will be a set of two all-star games for both boys & girls on the Big island. The first game, for each gender, will be the Rising Stars game for freshmen and sophomores and the second game will be the Senior game for juniors and seniors. The girls games will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at Kekuaokalani gym in Kona and the boys games will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the Hilo Civic Auditorium.

The teams will consist of 10 players for each West and East team for each game and gender. The teams will be chosen by a confidential selection committee and we have invited guest coaches for each team. There will be practices scheduled the week after each respective state tournament leading up to game day. This will not just be a game according to organizers as each participant will be required to participate in Boys & Girls Club leadership, anti-tobacco, anti-alcohol, and anti-drug messaging with our SmartMoves programming. Along with the club’s teen initiative and national branding campaign BE GREAT, the game will be an avenue to influence the future leaders of our community with positive messaging and to give exposure to our student/athletes and encourage younger kids to aspire and dream to BE GREAT !!

All West side practices and programming will be done at Kekuaokalani gym and East side practices and programming will be done at the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island gym. Admission to the games will be $3 for adults and $1 for students and seniors. All proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island and concessions will be available and benefit the club’s Hoop Dreams Hawaii travel teams.