Elks invite youth to free throw shooting contest

PORT JERVIS — Local competition for the 44th annual Elks Hoop Shoot, the national free throw shooting contest for youngsters age 8 through 13, will be held at Port Jervis High School at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 2.

Participants can compete in only one local competition event.

More than three million youngsters from throughout the country entered last year’s competition for boys and girls in age categories 8-9, 10-11, and 12-13. Each contestant has 25 shots at the hoop. The boy and girl in each age group with the best scores will advance through four tiers of competition to qualify for the national finals at the Springfield Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Local winners will compete against other contestants in the district event on Jan. 9 at Liberty High School in Liberty, N.Y. Names of the national winners will be inscribed on the Elks National “Hoop Shoot” plaque on permanent display in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

For more information call Kevin Cunningham at the Elks Lodge, 914-856-7100.