Photo courtesy of Annie Ngo

The Alaska Hoops Basketball Camp began on August 4 and will continue through August 8. The program was founded in 2009 by Buddy Bailey as a way to help young athletes of Alaska earn a college education through participation in basketball. The program aims to help players both on and off the court by connecting them with coaches who also act as role models. The coaches use basketball to teach lessons about character, leadership, worth ethic, and moral awareness. This year’s coaches range from University of Alaska students to professional players, but the one thing they all have in common are their ties to the state of Alaska. They say they are grateful to be able to give back to their community through a sport that has helped them in their own lives.

The Alaska Hoops program was made possible by the Unalaska schools, local parents, and generous donations from Ballyhoo Lions Club, PacSteve, Kloosterboer, Safeway, Alaska Ship Supply, Horizon Lines, GCI, Airport Restaurant, the PCR staff, and Teens4Health. Special thanks to Joanne Villamor for her hard work in organizing the camp.

The coaches of the Alaska Hoops program will be playing a game against a community team tomorrow night, August 7, at 7 pm at the high school.