Elks Hold Regional Hoop Shoot in Gorham 

On March 27, 2010, the Elks New England Regional Hoop Shoot contest was held at the University of Southern Maine's (USM) campus in Gorham. Thirty six competitors from across New England were vying for the title of regional champion and the opportunity to advance to the Elks National Hoop Shoot Contest, to be held in Springfield, MA on April 24, 2010.

The contestants began to arrive at the Wyndham Hotel in South Portland on Friday, March 26^th, where they registered for the event and had the opportunity to meet their fellow competitors and their families. The competitors and their families were also provided with Drug Awareness materials as well from the Elks Drug Awareness program. On Saturday morning, the contestants and their families were bused to the Portland Elks Lodge, where they had a full breakfast before heading off to USM in Gorham for the contest.

The contest was divided into three age groups, including the 8-9 year olds, 10-11 year olds, and the 12-13 year olds. Each contestant shot 25 free throws, with the highest scorer winning each age group. The competition was close, with four 5-shot shootouts held to determine the winners. Following the competition, the competitors spent the afternoon relaxing before attending the awards banquet. That night, an awards banquet was held back at the hotel, where trophies were awarded for 1^st through 3^rd place, and each competitor was presented with a gold medallion signifying their participation in the contest.
 

Overall, the Hoop Shooters from Maine did very well this year, with three of the six competitors advancing to the national contest. Gabrielle D., representing the Rockland Elks Lodge won the 8-9 year old division making 21 out of 25 shots. Sam B. and Abby P., both representing the Bangor Elks Lodge dominated the 12-13 year old division. Sam shot 21 out of 25, and won in a 5-shot shootout. Abby outshined all of of the girls, sinking a perfect 25 out of 25 shots to win her division. For her achievement, she was presented with two special trophies. One for being the top scoring girl out of all age groups in the competition, and the other for having a perfect score.

One other competitor from Maine placed 2nd in the competition. Marcus C., representing the Skowhegan-Madison Elks Lodge finished in 2nd Place in the 8-9 year old boys division. He shot 21 out of 25 shots, but lost to Alex P. of Connecticut who shot a perfect 25 out of 25 shots.

Below are the final results of the event.

8-9 BOYS

8-9 GIRLS

10-11 BOYS

10-11 GIRLS

12-13 BOYS

12-13 GIRLS

(The second number in the score represents the number of free throws made during a 5-shot shootout)

Representing the State of Maine will be Gabrielle D., Sam B., and Abby P. who will travel, courtesy of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks to Springfield, Massachusetts-the birthplace of basketball-to be among the 72 top youngsters vying for the chance to claim one of six national trophies awarded at the Elks "Hoop Shoot" National Free Throw Contest, on April 25, 2009. A great showing in the national championship will not only earn these competitors a place in Elks "Hoop Shoot" history, but also land their names on a plaque in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Now in its 38^th year, the Elks "Hoop Shoot" Free Throw Contest has seen over 100 million participants since its inception, making it the largest coeducational youth sports program in the nation. Funded entirely by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Elks National Foundation, the Elks "Hoop Shoot" Free Throw Contest has served as a testing ground for sports legends Cleveland Cavaliers' Trajan Langdon, WNBA 2001 Rookie of the Year Jackie Stiles of the former Portland Fire, Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Steve Alford, Olympic gold medalist and former Golden State Warriors Chris Mullin, former North Carolina State star Jennifer Howard, and former Chicago White Sox third-baseman Chris Snopek. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is a patriotic and philanthropic fraternal organization with over 900,000 members in more than 2,100 communities.

Pictured above are: Front (L-R): Alex P., Gabrielle D., Cole S., and.Alissa B. Rear (L-R): Sam B, and Abby P.

Wish a Hoop Shoot Winner Luck

We invite you to send congratulations and good luck wishes from across the country to your favorite Hoop Shoot finalists! We'll print your message prior to the contest and present them to the contestants when they arrive in Springfield. Here's a great way to let the finalists know that we're all rooting for them to succeed!

Click Here

The deadline to submit your greeting is noon, Friday, April 16, 2010 

Maine Elks PER Ritual Team Looking for Members 

If you are a Past Exalted Ruler, and have an interest in ritual, the Maine Elks PER Ritual Team needs you. MEA Ritualistic Director Bruce Brunelle is looking for four more people to participate in the Area 1 PER Ritual Contest on April 25, 2010 in Woonsocket, RI.

If interested, contact Bruce at kb3@metrocast.net

VA Re-Launches Veteran Resource Website

The Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor re-launched a new and improved Web site for our wounded warriors last week -- the National Resource Directory (NRD). 

This directory  (www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov) provides access to thousands of  services and resources at the national, state and local levels to support  recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration.

The NRD is a comprehensive online tool available nationwide for wounded, ill and injured service members, Veterans and their families.  The NRD includes extensive information for Veterans seeking resources on VA benefits, including disability benefits, pensions for Veterans and their families, VA health care insurance and the GI Bill.  It also includes information for caregivers including how to find emotional, financial and community assistance.

The site includes a specialized section on homeless assistance.  The site offers information on programs and benefits designed to help homeless Veterans and service members live as independently as possible. The NRD's design and interface is simple, easy-to-navigate and intended to answer the needs of a broad audience of users within the military, Veteran and caregiver communities.

Other features include a fast, accurate search engine; a "bookmark and share" capability that allows NRD users to spread the word about valuable resources on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites; and a news feature with updates on relevant information and events.

If you have news or information of interest to the members of the Maine Elks Association, please send your articles to Public Relations Director Wayne Cotterly at meapr@fairpoint.net for inclusion in the MEA Calendar, the MEA Website, or future issues of this newsletter.

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