Swish

An estimated 125 teams are expected for Swish 2009 on Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 9, in downtown Bonners Ferry.

Proceeds from the second annual three-on-three basketball tournament will help buy playground equipment and basketball hoops in the caged area at Boundary County Fairgrounds. The Swish committee hopes to raise $4,000, said member Brett Brown.

Primary sponsors for Swish are Three Mile Cafe, Zips, Bonners Ferry Eagles, Bonners Ferry Rotary, Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce, Community Title and Boundary Abstract.

As of Friday, one team had signed up for this year’s 3-on-3, but Brown said he’s not sweating it.

“If you remember last year, I had six teams with three days to go and we ended up with 62 teams,” he said.

The committee mailed 450 postcards to players who participate in other tournaments in the region. Brown hopes that postcards combined with word-of-mouth will double last year’s participation.

July 28 is the last day to register at $70 per team; the registration fee was $80 last year.

The fee increases to $90 after the July 28 deadline.

Registration forms are available at participating businesses and online at www.bfswish.com.

Teams will play on Main Street. Food vendors will be set up on Bonners Street and there will be places for people to eat at Bonners Ferry Visitors Center.

“The Georgia Mae (Plaza) will not be used for vending,” Brown said.

So far, 72 volunteers have sign up for scorekeepers and court monitors, handing out water to volunteers, handing out packets and running scores to update brackets. Brown would like to get 100.

Last year’s Swish raised $4,000

“The only way we came out that way was thanks to the goodness of Fleet Graphics, who donated all the graphics for the hoops.”

For information, Brown can be reached at 946-8650.