Find West Herr at the Ride For Roswell

The West Herr Crew will be downtown all weekend at the Gus Macker Basketball Tournament.  Take a look at the map to find your way around the event:

We'll be all over the place, so keep an eye out.  More importantly, come down to support a great cause like the Buffalo Police Athletic League and Kids Escaping Drugs. 

The Gus Macker Tournament started with the following objectives in mind:

• A Wholesome, family-oriented event.
• A tournament designed by players for players
• A value to sponsors.
• An outstanding fund-raising event for the local community.
• A major media sporting event.
• Entertaining for the spectators.

West Herr is proud to be involved once again.  The Buffalo version of the Gus Macker is consistently one of the largest in the country and we hope everyone in Western New York is there to make it count.  See you there!

Support The Gus Macker Tournament

West Herr Proud To Be Involved with Annual Basketball Tournament

It's summer, meaning it's time for 3 on 3 basketball.  The Buffalo Police Athletic League (PAL) and Kids Escaping Drugs will again be hosting the annual Gus Macker Basketball Tournament.  The event will take place June 26-27 at 65 Niagara Square in Buffalo. 

See some highlights from last year's event

This tagline for this year's event is "Making The World a Better Place to Live" and the PAL aims to hold true to that promise.  They said:

100% of all proceeds from the event will directly benefit the children of our community through the programs of PAL. The focus and goal of PAL’s core programming it to build strong athletic, cultural, social and recreational opportunities that area youth are attracted and held to; while adding age appropriate prevention and education to each activity.

All tournament games are 3 on 3 and there is a bracket system in place until a champion is crowned.  The PAL provides board certified referees for the games and Wegman's will even sponsor a warm up fitness routine to help players avoid cramps and injuries. 

In addition the cocession stands will be expanding to include Applebees, Just Pizza, and Sahlens’s Hot Dogs. 

West Herr is proud to be involved with the event yet again.  Few people know how much volunteer work goes into the event.  As we noted in a blog post from last year's event, there were over 700 volunteers.  Truly a testament to the generous people of Western New York. 

The tournament started in 1974 in a Lowell, MI driveway as Scott and Mitch McNeal found 18 friends and played for an $18 purse.  Today the tournament takes place in over 75 cities and draws a total of 1.7 million spectators attending.  The Gus Macker site says the tournament continues with the following objectives in mind:

• A Wholesome, family-oriented event.
• A tournament designed by players for players
• A value to sponsors.
• An outstanding fund-raising event for the local community.
• A major media sporting event.
• Entertaining for the spectators.

For more info about the history, rules, and regulations visit the general tournament website here.  For more information on how to register a team or Buffalo specific questions, visit the local site here. 

We hope to see you there!

Join us this weekend at the Buffalo Gus Macker Basket Ball.

The weather forecast is Sunny and Fun for this weekend’s Gus Macker Basketball tournament in front of the Buffalo City Hall. The courts will be assembled on Friday, pouring out onto the side streets of down town all the way to Chippewa. Over a 1,000 matches each day in a fun filled family atmosphere, with finals at main courts in Niagara Square. Awesome food and great music fill the streets as the teams compete.

When: June 27^th and 28^th 2009

Buffalo Gus Macker WinnersThe Gus Macker is such a big deal for Buffalo. Kids and adults plan all year for the 3-3 street style basketball. The Macker Tournament is designed so that anyone can play: male or female, young and old, short and tall, the most experienced or no experience at all. With  board certified referees on all courts the purity and integrity of the driveway game is maintained.

3-on-3 basketball at its best.Year after year 100’s of thousands have come to watch this amazing event. Kids and adults practice all year long just to say they have played in a Gus Macker. The come with their faces painted, will hand made team tee shirts and with skills like you have never seen.

Again this year, Kids Escaping Drugs (KEDS) and the Police Athletic League (PAL) are putting on the event and all proceeds, from food and beverages to fees, help these great causes. It is a monumental task to run this event and over 300 West Herr employees volunteer each year teaming up with volunteers from all over Buffalo and WNY, cooking food, assembling equipment and keeping score.

This year Terrence McGee and Marshawn Lynch of the Buffalo Bills, have joined the team at Kids Escaping Drugs to host and sponsor the event. Again Toyota, and New Era play an important part in the success of the tournament.

So what are you waiting for? Pack up the kids, and head on down this weekend.

Links:

• BuffaloGusMacker.com
• WGRZ video ad
• Article by Around WNY
• Kids Escaping Drugs
• Police Athletic League