Great moments come from great games of basketball on your home Goalrilla Goal basketball court, a school gym or a professional arena. Cheers in the crowd get the athletes pumped up for their best game, positive feedback from the coaches offers lasting learning opportunities and increased confidence. Leaving a game- win or lose- knowing you tried your best, is one of those feelings that makes for a great moment.

Knowing the excitement of sports fans and the needs of the community, one young man, BJ Viau, of Minnesota, decided nine years ago to mix the two for an awesome cause.

He formed an event called Twin Cities Shoot for a Cure, Huntington Disease Hoop-a-Thon. During this benefit, which raises money for medical research, Viau offers two choices:

• Solo shooters may stand anywhere on the court, as close to the basket as they choose. When the whistle sounds, the person has five minutes to sink as many shots as possible.
• Teams of four take three 10-minute rounds, shooting as many baskets as they can.

Pledges for fundraising may be made per free throw or per three-pointer or a flat donation. Prizes are often based on the number of baskets and are offered by community sponsors, such as gift cards from local eateries or sports stores.

When Viau founded this event, he was 19 years old. Each year it has expanded and grown, to include more participants, which computes to more money raised. In eight years, nearly $300,000 has been donated through this event, for Huntington Disease research dollars. This disease affect more than 30,000 people.

The Basketball Goal Store staff notes two points that are important here; first, basketball can be awesome for so many reasons, and it can actually change people’s lives. And second, you’re never too young to create something wonderful and lasting for your community.

-Pat of the Basketball Goal Store Blog Team