MEDIA RELEASE

Youth basketball teams from throughout the state will gather Dec. 26-29 in Hilo to compete in the 32nd Annual HI-PAL Winter Basketball Classic.

Sponsored by the county Department of Parks and Recreation and the Hawaii Isle Police Activities League or HI-PAL, this popular tournament is open to boys and girls ages 5 to 14 years old.

Last year’s highly successful tournament attracted more than 500 keiki athletes from 52 different teams.

This year’s games will be played at various East Hawaii gymnasiums. A dinner banquet for all participating teams and a special skills challenge will be part of the four-day tournament.

Teams have until Dec. 14 to register. The fee is $80 per team, with a discounted $60 price for each team entering the 8-year-old and under category.

Tournament scheduling will give teams, coaches and parents opportunities to visit some of East Hawaii’s world-class attractions.

The Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii’s full- dome planetarium, Hilo’s black-sand beaches, majestic Rainbow Falls, and the free Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens are all located within a short drive from the tournament venues.

For those wishing to venture a little further, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park includes Kilauea Volcano, which has been erupting continuously since 1983.

For more information or to register, call HI-PAL’s Joey Botelho Jr. at 961-2220 or 961-8121. Inquiries may also be made to Darrell Yamamoto, P&R recreation specialist, at 961-8740, ext. 25, or Jason Armstrong, P&R Public Information Officer, at 345-9105, or jarmstrong@co.hawaii.hi.us.