Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament made its seventh return to the historic streets of Sault Ste. Marie this sunny weekend to finish up today at 4:30 p.m. when winners will be announced.
Approximately 103 teams of four from across the state of Michigan, over the St. Marys River, and as far as Arizona competed in a series of basketball tournaments and competitions organized by Mary Jo DuVall of Superior Health Support Systems.
“They come from far and beyond,” DuVall said. “Gus Macker is a great summer event. People vacation their weekends at the Macker tournaments.”
Set up began Friday with official registration later that same evening.
"Opening Ceremonies were held at 8 a.m. Saturday morning and then the games started," said Gus Macker Broadcaster, Travel Agent Lynn Mason. "This is a small tournament, actually, but it’s a nice place to hold tournaments.”
Mason said Gus Macker’s largest tournament to date occurred in the 1980s when 5,000 people competed in a single weekend. What started as a three-on-three basketball tournament in a Lowell, Mich. driveway 48 years ago has since turned national.
“There’s usually somewhere around tournaments a year,” Mason said. “Next week, we’re in Iron Mountain and Newaygo. Tournaments last through November. We have a new one in October, and we are going to Las Vegas.”
All Gus Macker teams are placed into divisions according to sex and age as follows: 10 and under, 11 to 12, 13 to 14, 15 to 16, and 17 to 18. Co-ed are registered in the male division.
Adult teams are computer-matched into divisions according to age, height and experience. Anyone over the age of 30 is placed into the following age brackets: 30 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 plus.
Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament registration fees cost $5, helping DuVall and volunteers rack in anywhere between $4,000 to $6,000.
Event proceeds will support the assisted living facilities of Superior Health Support Systems, including Hearthside Assisted Living, Merlin Home, Pennington Home, Harbor View Assisted Living & Hospice, and White Wiles Home.
“We need to say thank you to our community members in Sault Ste. Marie, all of our local businesses, and the organizations who have made a financial donation to bring this event to town,” said DuVall. “It takes money to get Gus Macker to come up here. They come up with a full staff to run the tournaments for us.”
Without sponsorship, basketball players would not bring their friends and families to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. to fill gas tanks, eat at local restaurants, drink in establishments, purchase hot dogs from food truck vendors, and occupy motels/hotels.
“A lot of people make this thing happen, so thank you to all those people,” DuVall said to include Chippewa County Sunrise Rotary Club and Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie.
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