Every Charity Wins from Carmel Rotary’s Basketball Shootout
By Sara Dunn
Nonprofit groups of all kinds and size are invited to the 5th annual Community Basketball Shootout sponsored by the Carmel Rotary Club and the Carmel High School Interact Club from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 11 in the gymnasium at Carmel High School on Fair Street.
Over the past four years, the basketball shootout has helped 60 community groups — including other local rotaries, scout troops, student athletic teams and charitable organizations — raise more than $43,000.
Carmel Rotary member and co-Chair of the Basketball Shootout Al Lotrecchiano explained how the shootout works. Individuals shooting baskets for a particular organization get people to pledge a certain amount for every basket they make. When the results are tallied, 80 percent of the money earned goes back to the organization and 20 percent goes to the Carmel Rotary Club that uses the money throughout the year to provide financial assistance to local non profits and to fund student scholarships.
Lotrecchiano wanted community members who are interested in participating to know that it isn’t necessary to stay throughout the entire three-hour event.
“It will only take 15 minutes to register, shoot their baskets and then tally everything up,” he said, offering the advice that lay-ups are the best way for competitors to quickly rack up the number of baskets they make.
But sticking around offers the shooters representing different groups, including the American Cancer Society, the Fraternal Order of the Police, Habitat for Humanity and the Putnam Humane Society, an opportunity for some friendly competition.
Last year, the Cornell Cooperative Extension was the organization to walk away with the highest total in baskets.
But individuals are recognized for their prowess with a basketball, too.
At last year’s shootout a father-daughter team earned the top score in their age groups. Putnam County’s Finance Commissioner Bill Carlin made 76 baskets on behalf of the Lake Mahopac Rotary Club and his daughter Darcy took the top prize for the 12-13 year olds with 52 baskets.
“Some unsuspecting parents got a little stung,” Lotrecchiano said jokingly of moms and dads who pledged $1 for every basket their child made, not anticipating how well they would do.
But those moms and dads are also proud of their children’s accomplishments at the net, such as the parents of 3-yeard-old Hudson Kelley, the grandson of Putnam Hospital Center’s Director of Volunteer Services Michelle Piazza, who won the trophy in his age group at the mini basket set up for very young competitors.
“It’s fun to see the different groups compete,” Lotrecchiano said.
The shootout dates back to the 1970s, but in the 1990s participation waned and the event went on hiatus.
But in 2008, the Carmel Rotary Club decided to hold the event again to help out non profits during economic times when donations and grants were drying up. That year, $4,000 was raised. Cut to last year and the total amount raised by the participating organizations and the Rotary totaled $16,000.
“Each year, we are getting more and more people,” Lotrecchiano said.
There also will be an area where groups and organizations can set up a table to promote what they do and share information with the public, but they must be signed up for the basketball shootout to do so.
Anyone wanting more information or pledge forms to participate in this year’s shootout can call Al Lotrecchiano at 845-225-4835 or visit the Rotary’s website at www.carmelrotary.org and click on “shootout.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.