When teams playing in the 10th Annual Stop the Violence Basketball Tournament next weekend take the court on Horton Avenue, they’ll be playing on a brand new surface.
“Look at that. Isn’t that beautiful?” said tournament co-founder Dwyane Eleazer, who stopped at the Horton Avenue court this evening to check out the new blue epoxy surface and white lines. “It’s blue and white for the Riverhead’s Blue Waves colors.”
The contractor hired by the Riverhead Recreation Department put the finishing touches on the job today. Eleazer said he was grateful to town recreation superintendent Ray Coyne for getting the surface taken care of. It had been in pretty bad shape, Coyne told Riverhead Town Board members last week, when he outlined plans to reallocate recreation fund monies to cover several projects, including the Horton Avenue court.
The court’s gate remained locked this evening, so Eleazer had to admire it from outside the fence.
“Very nice. Very nice,” a grinning Eleazer said as he admired the new epoxy surface. “This will be a lot more forgiving than the asphalt, when the guys fall,” he said.
When the 10th annual double-elimination 20-team tournament tips off next Saturday morning, they will be competing for a top prize of more than $3,000. The teams come from all over the N.Y. metro area to play and the competition is fierce but friendly.
The whole idea of the tournament is to stop street violence by providing an environment where people can make acquaintances, get to know each other and build friendships, according to Larry Williams who founded the tournament with Eleazer and works with him each year to organize it.
“We’re trying to build friendships and respect,” Eleazer said. “When people get to know each other, they are less likely to engage in violent behavior,” he said.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” Eleazer said. “People really have a good time, both on and off the court.”
This year, for the first time, Eleazer and Williams have organized a barbecue to raise money to help defray the costs of putting on the tournament — mainly, referees’ fees — and, they hope, increase the tournament’s prize money. They also plan to purchase new pads for the basketball poles.
The barbecue takes place Sunday at the American Legion on Hubbard Avenue in Riverhead, from 1 till 6 p.m. Eleazer, Williams and friends will be cooking and serving up chicken, fish, hamburgers, hot dogs and fresh corn, plus salads, beer, soda and water. There will be music by the band Get Dancin’ and DJ Darrel Mayo. Donation: $25/adults and $10/kids.
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