Ithaca, NY - Through the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) has been selected to host a new annual Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament! This year's tournament and community celebration will take place outside at Ithaca High School (IHS) on September 7 & 8, 2019. The event is free and open to the public and more details can be found on the VisitIthaca.com events calendar. There is a fee for teams wishing to participate in the tournament. Team registration for all ages is still open to those interested in playing.
While the tournament is fun and exciting for spectators and players, there will also be food, games, and activities for friends, family, and visitors of all ages throughout the weekend. With so many regional and local attendees converging for the event, GIAC's Festival of Nations will also happen alongside Gus Macker on Saturday 9/7, followed by a Tompkins Chamber "Movies in the Park" screening of Space Jam in the IHS Football Stadium. Attendees are expected to attend from throughout the region.
Gus Macker is in its’ 46th year and is the “original 3-on-3 Basketball Festival of Family Fun.” Tournaments are hosted in communities all over the nation each year. They are designed for basketball players who love the fun of the driveway game, male or female, from age 7 to 70+, short and tall, the most experienced to those with little to none, for anyone who wants to play! Brackets are sorted by age and skill so teams are well matched.
In addition to the economic impact of bringing thousands of players and fans into the community, the charitable aspect of Gus Macker Tournaments is crucial. At each tournament site, the local organizing committee donates proceeds to a local non-profit or charity. Ithaca’s local organizing committee is a result of a collaboration between GIAC, Ithaca City School District (ICSD) Athletics, Visit Ithaca, and the Tompkins Chamber of Commerce. GIAC has taken over the role of planning and coordination, and event proceeds will help support and grow their array of youth recreation programs.
The event will continue annually as a community celebration and significant funding source for GIAC. Those interested in volunteering, participating, or supporting the event through sponsorship can contact Travis Brooks at TBrooks@CityofIthaca.org or call 607-272-3622. GIAC staff have been hard at work planning and preparing to host the event. Their Teen Program Leader, Mentor, and former Gus Macker tournament competitor, Rahmel Mack, has taken on creating Ithaca’s unique brand as a new host. Mack coordinated GIAC’s Gus Macker float in the recent Ithaca Festival Parade and has been busy generating buzz throughout the community, promoting the event, and visiting schools to recruit teams. He also created Ithaca’s own unique Gus Macker sanctioned logo, and even wrote, produced, and recorded a theme song for the event, along with an impressive video: Click here to check it out!
The event represents meaningful local partnerships and will be a unique expression of the community. Along with dozens of local and regional sponsors, partner community organizations supporting or participating in the event include Ithaca College, Cayuga Medical Center, the Ithaca Marriott Downtown on the Commons (primary host hotel), Wegmans, the Tompkins Chamber, Visit Ithaca, ICSD Athletics, LimeBike (and Bike Walk Tompkins), and TCAT.
