MEDIA RELEASE

The HawaiÊ»i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section and the HawaiÊ»i Island Police Activities League (HI-PAL) have added a new event to their schedule to attract high school students.

The new Click It or Ticket 5-on-5 High School Basketball Tournament is a first-time event. It will be held 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on August 20-21 at the Hilo Armory. Teams interested in participating may call Officer Joeseph Botelho Jr. at 961-2220 or Officer Randy Morris at 326-4646, extension 258.

Team entries are being accepted for the first 10 teams in both the boys and girls divisions. Organizations wishing to enter more than one team are asked to enter one at a time. As space becomes available, additional teams can be entered.

Click It or Ticket packets must be completed by each participant. The packets can be picked up from the East Hawaiʻi HI-PAL office, located downstairs at the Community Policing Office on the first floor of the Hilo police station at 349 Kapiolani Street.

HI-PAL has two remaining Click It or Ticket 3-on-3 Basketball Tournaments this year:

The first is August 12-14 at Kawananakoa Gymnasium in Keaukaha. It is open to boys and girls age 5-14.

The second is September 10-11 at the Laupāhoehoe High School gymnasium. (This event will be a clinic followed by the 3-on-3 games. Interested participants ages 8-12 will be taught by Laupāhoehoe High School coaches and former UHH Vulcan Jayme Carvalho from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Interested participants ages 13-17 will then be taught by Laupāhoehoe High School coaches, Carvalho and Andy Smith, former UHH Vulcan and Director of Hawaiʻi Island Hoops, from 1-4 p.m.)

For more information, you may call Officer Botlelho or Officer Morris at the numbers listed above.

“Click It or Ticket” is a national educational and enforcement campaign to increase seat belt usage and decrease traffic fatalities and injuries.