SPOKANE, Wash. — Many families and players experience financial barriers when Hoopfest returns to Spokane each year.
That challenge can create a race to find the money in order for kids to play in the tournament. The reality being that Hoopfest can be during a time when finances may not stretch as far as they need be.
Most moms and families can relate, like one Spokane mother Marlene Orr, who wanted her son Noah to play, “We were struggling, like, you know, financially. They really wanted to play. and I was like, I don’t know if we can afford to play this year.”
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Registration for Hoopfest is at least $100 per team which can be a big hit to families’ wallets.
Orr said she found her family in a situation where her son may not be able to play until one day she received a special call from MultiCare who offered to sponsor her son’s team.
“With the sponsorships, they paid, you know, the registration fees, got them shoes and their food. And now, we’re able to use those funds that we were going to use for that to, you know, maybe we could splurge on a snow cone or something,” said Orr.
With that help, Noah was able to lace up his shoes radiating a smile as his team got their first win.
“They got to be like not just a spectator, but they’re a player,” said Orr. “They get to be proud or have to be proud to, like, wear the player shirts and hopefully they’ll get their championship shirt.”
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