Ludington, MI | Moved To 2022
COVID-19 Best Practices
Date: March 18, 2021
To: All Media
Contact:
Brandy Miller, President/CEO
Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of
Commerce
brandyh@ludington.org; 231-845-0324
For Immediate Release
2021 Ludington
Gus Macker Charity Basketball Tournament Suspended
30th Anniversary Event to be Held in 2022
The Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of
Commerce has announced it has suspended the Ludington Gus Macker Charity 3-on-3
Basketball Tournament, which was scheduled for June 19-20.
While crowd-size restrictions currently allow
for 300 people to gather outdoors, it is anticipated Coronavirus restrictions
will not allow for a crowd of 20,000 by June.
“This is the largest Gus Macker in the
country, so we know it will disappoint a lot of people, but there are a lot of
circumstances that have been taken into consideration during this difficult
decision-making process,” said Brandy Miller, President/CEO of the Chamber.
“And our number one priority right now is to continue on this path of keeping
our community safe and healthy.”
“For months, we have been meeting with a
national Gus Macker committee to discuss Coronavirus protocols -- but due to
the size of our tournament and the fact that it is held at a public park, we
just didn’t see how we could logistically make it happen safely.”
Gus Macker in Ludington has been a fundraiser
for local non-profit and athletic organizations for 29 years. In 2019, over
$27,500 was raised for local charities and concessionnaires participating in
the tournament. Approximately 750 teams and their families traveled to
Ludington to participate in the 2019 tournament. The event was cancelled in
2020 due to the pandemic.
“We understand the challenges the Ludington Chamber of Commerce
faces in managing the nation’s largest Gus Macker Tournament, especially in the
face of COVID-19,” said Scott McNeal, owner of Gus Macker
Basketball. “We
support their decision to postpone to 2022 and can’t wait to celebrate 30 years
of 3-on-3 hoops at the beach next summer. Gus Macker joins the Chamber in
putting the safety of the players and their families first.”
Any teams that are currently registered for the 2021
tournament will receive a full refund.
The 2022 tournament is currently set for June
18-19. This will be the 30th anniversary of the event in Ludington, and
organizers want to celebrate the success and longevity of the tournament.
“We are excited to bring Gus Macker back in
2022,” Miller said. “This is a signature summer event for Ludington, and we
want to commemorate our 30th tournament with record numbers of teams and
crowds.”
“Gus Macker has really put Ludington on the
map in the sports community. Nowhere else do teams get to play basketball with
such a large number of games and the amenities of a Lake Michigan beach and
park.”
For more information on Gus Macker
tournaments, visit macker.com.
Sponsors
Ludington Gus Macker - Elite Event!
The largest Gus Macker tournament in the nation will be held June 19-20 at Ludington’s Stearns Park.
Promoters refer to Ludington as an elite event, which attracts hundreds of teams each year. In 2019 we saw 757 teams competing on 48 courts lining Lakeshore Drive and Stearns Outer Drive. Presented by Meijer Corporation, the two-day event is organized by the Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce and a local committee of volunteers.
Gus Macker in Ludington is a charity event, benefiting Mason County sports and service clubs, and organizers are hoping to make valuable donations again this year. In 2019, the Ludington tournament resulted in over $27,500 in donations back to the community. The Family Resource Center and school athletic departments were among the recipients.
Gus Macker tournaments are designed for basketball players who love the fun of the driveway game – male or female, from age 7 to 70-plus, short and tall, the most experienced or those with little or no experience who just want to play.