The Clifton Park Elks Lodge #2466 is hosting its annual Lodge Hoop Shoot, national free throw shooting contest for youngsters ages 8 through 13 (As of April 1, 2010), on Saturday, November 21 at the Shenendehowa East High School Gym. Qualifying will be held from noon to 2 p.m. There is no pre-registration, just show up.

Over three million youngsters from throughout the country entered last year’s competition for boys and girls in age categories 8-9; 10-11; and 12-13. Each contestant has 25 shots at the hoop. The boy and girl in each age group with the best scores advance through four tiers of competition to qualify for the national finals at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Last year, two boys represented our Lodge at the Elks Hoop Shoot Regional Finals competition on Saturday, February 7 in Rotterdam.

This is a FREE event. Prizes will be awarded in each age division. The Hoop Shoot is America’s largest non-commercial co-educational sports program and has served to highlight the Elks commitment to youth. Winners and their parents also travel to state, regional and national competition, courtesy of the Elks. One parent wrote, “we can't say enough positive things about the Clifton Park Elks and the Hoop Shoot Contest". Today’s Elks are in good company. Former Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, Harry Truman and John Kennedy, and Vince Lombardi, Michael Mrochko, Casey Stengal and Jack Benny all were Elks.

Hoop shoot funding is provided by the Elks National Foundation, the charitable arm of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA. For more information, visit http://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?lodgenumber=2466. If you have any questions, or would like to get more involved in our lodge’s youth activities programs, please contact Mike Gunther.

If you have any Clifton Park real estate needs, please be sure to give me a call at 518-281-3951 or search the entire MLS at no-charge on my Web site; www.LewisB.com.  Good luck to all the participants!