3-on-3 basketball fundraiser returns next month

By Sarah Hall

Editor

After a few down years, the Syracuse-Cicero Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament fundraiser for the CanTeen teen center doubled its intake last year — and organizers are hoping the trend will continue in 2018.

This year’s event, which will take place Aug. 11 and 12 at Cicero-North Syracuse High School, looks to match if not exceed 2017’s total of $16,000. That’s a significant jump from the $8,000 the tourney has brought in each year since it moved from Driver’s Village to the high school in 2015, though nowhere near the $25,000 it used to bring in back in its heyday.

According to CanTeen Executive Director Toni Brauchle, the CanTeen has three main funding streams: the four municipalities the center serves (the towns of Cicero, Clay and Salina and the village of North Syracuse), which provide money through their parks departments, youth services and other stream; the state of New York, which funds the program through Onondaga County’s Office of Children and Family Services; and the Friends of the CanTeen’s 501(c)3, which raises money through various events like the Macker tournament.

“If any of these streams dries up or shrinks, the only source that can make adjustments is the Friends group,” Brauchle said. “They are left shouldering the burden of any shortfall.”

Gus Macker tournaments have become a tradition for people across the country. The first Gus Macker tournament was played by Scott McNeal (known to friends as Gus Macker) on his parents’ driveway basketball court in Lowell, Michigan, in 1974. By 1987, it had become a statewide phenomenon. The first year, more than 10,400 players participated in five cities. Since then, the Macker tournaments have expanded, holding both indoor and outdoor games in more than 75 cities, with more than 200,000 players taking part each year.

Tournament Director Julie LaFave, a native of Michigan, brought the Macker to Cicero in 2010 to act as a major fundraiser for the CanTeen after state budget cuts threatened the program. Since its inception, the tournament has raised more than $120,000 for the teen center, attracting about 175 to 200 teams and roughly 800 athletes to town each year.

The tournament moved from Driver’s Village to the parking lot of the high school in 2015 after the expansion of the car dealership. While the relocation meant better visibility, closer proximity to the CanTeen itself and a better space overall for the event, it did have a major downside: sponsorship revenue declined by 41 percent between 2014 and 2015. And since the tournament had replaced many smaller fundraisers throughout the year, the center has taken in fewer donations from the public in the last several years.

Last year marked a huge turnaround for the competition, which LaFave likes to call “a basketball festival.” It includes not only the multitude of 3-on-3 games with players of all ages, but also vendors, food and more, all provided by the sponsors that help keep the tourney going. This year’s presenting sponsor is once again Sun Auto; Cumulus acts as Media Partner. C-NS Optimists are the Dream Court Partner. Joining this year is Quality in Syracuse Carrier Circle, which is the tournament’s Host Hotel Partner.

“We are always looking for sponsors or partners at every level,” LaFave said. “Even the little things over the weekend like feeding 100-plus volunteers eats at our budget. Every dollar or donation of any kind helps!”

And anything left over goes to help keep the doors open at the CanTeen, which Brauchle said is constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of today’s adolescents.

“The constant is the need for relationships with adults that are healthy and supportive that help them to navigate those challenges at a time during the work day when custodial parents may be away from the home in the afternoon,” she said. “Providing services, supports and opportunities is the foundation on which the CanTeen is built, but the vehicle in which they are provided may look different. What works one week, may not work on another week. The staff needs to be constantly inquiring and observing trends to keep up.”  

The deadline for registration is rapidly approaching: register by mail by July 20 or online by July 23. Cost for teams is $140. Full rules and regulations are available at macker.com/local/cicero-ny. To volunteer at the tournament, contact the CanTeen at [email protected].