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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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A Shot In The Dark Hoopfest Volunteers Labor Through The Night To Set Up Courts For 3,600 Teams

Gita Sitaramiah Staff writer

Volunteers worked late Friday in downtown Spokane to turn 30 city blocks into courts for Hoopfest - the largest three-on-three basketball tournament in the country.

The tournament begins this morning.

Streets closed at 10 p.m. Friday so the work of the volunteers could begin.

“We’re good. We’re fast. We’ve never done this before,” joked Tim Burk, adding that he doesn’t even like basketball.

Dozens of volunteers hustled to put in place the tournament’s skeleton - hoops, speaker towers, the celebrity-court bleachers, tables for court monitors and food and beverage stands.

Burk and his wife, Kristen, volunteered to help out for fun and because they have friends involved in the tournament.

They were part of a seven-person team setting up 21 courts on three blocks of Riverside.

The team was equipped with a shopping cart filled with tape to mark the courts and other equipment. They brought a large court outline, then taped around it.

Hoopfest began in 1990 with 511 teams on 30 courts. More than 3,600 teams will play today and Sunday in this year’s tournament.

Players picked up their registration packets, including shirts and event guides, throughout the day Friday at Riverfront Park.

Janice Foote, a volunteer handing out packets, said she wanted to help out because she’s new to Spokane and hoped to learn about the community.

New to registration packets this year is a badge for one parent on each youth team.

“All the parents have been very understanding,” Foote said. “This saves us from having six parents from one team talk to the court monitor at the same time.”

Food stands in the park offered a range of choices from pasta salad and stir-fry noodles to pizza and elephant ears.

Courts were set up in the park at Spokane Falls Boulevard and Wall, where children and adults could compete in shooting contests for T-shirts, basketballs, hats and other prizes.

Downtown streets reopen Sunday at midnight.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo