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Past Hoopin' It up for Richie Tournaments
Fifth Annual Hoopin' It up for Richie - Austin, TX
On Sunday, April 10, the AEPi chapter of the University of Texas at Austin hosted the Fifth Annual Hoopin' It Up for Richie, a 3 on 3 charity basketball tournament. The day welcomed students and faculty for competitive games. All participants made a $15 minimum donation to support the RSF mission to promote organ donation. In total, nearly $1,000 was raised.
The tournament's philanthropy coordinator, Koby Sokoloff, of AEPi, worked hard to engage his fellow brothers of the fraternity as well as the general student population. Teams played a minimum of two games in the double elimination style tournament.
"All of the teams that participated had a great time," Koby said. "We host several charity events each year and many of the guys really look forward to this tournament."
Richie's Spirit Foundation's connection to Texas AEPi dates back to the time of Richie's death in 2007. Richie's older cousin, Phillip, was then a member of AEPi and created the tournament in his memory. Ever since, the fraternity has kept the tournament running as a major event and has raised more than $7,500 for the Foundation.
Richie's Spirit Foundation would like to thank all who participated, especially Koby Sokoloff and the brothers of Texas AEPi. We would also like to thank all volunteers who assisted, including the referees for keeping the games fair and fun.
Fourth ANNUAL HOOPIN' IT UP FOR RICHIE - AUSTIN, TX
The Fourth Annual Hoopin' It Up for Richie 3 on 3 Charity Basketball Tournament Presented by WINGSTOP was held on Sunday, April 12, 2015 at the Recreational Sports Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. More than $3,000 was raised to support Richie's Spirit Foundation's mission to promote organ donation to people of all ages.
Hosted by the UT Chapter of the fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), teams participated in a double-elimination style competitive tournament. Prior to team play, AEPi Philanthropy Chair, Myles Shaw, welcomed the crowd and stressed the importance of this annual event.
"This tournament enriches the brotherhood aspect of the fraternity through playing basketball and combines with our core goal to support various philanthropic efforts," Shaw said. "Texas AEPi hopes to continue its partnership with Richie's Spirit Foundation for years to come."
To promote organ donation, Donate Life of Texas was on hand to offer participants the opportunity to sign-up for the National Organ Donor Registry. RSF Tournament Directors, Scott Robbins and Bryna Herskowitz, Richie's childhood friend and sister, shared an emotional video montage in memory of Richie and highlighted the importance of organ donation.
"Many people think organ donation is an issue to think about later in life," Ms. Herskowitz said. "The purpose of the tournament is to prove this is not the case. We are helping to spread awareness and educate people about the benefits of organ donation, while also teaching young adults to express their views on organ donation to their families."
Richie's Spirit Foundation would like to thank WINGSTOP, this year's presenting sponsor. The 'Wing Experts' provided a very generous monetary donation as well as t-shirts and coupons to participants.
Third Annual Hoopin' It up for Richie - Austin, TX
The Third Annual Hoopin' it Up for Richie 3 on 3 Charity Basketball Tournament took place on Sunday, April 27, 2014 at The University of Texas Austin. The event, hosted by Texas AEPi, welcomed over 20 teams and raised more than $2,000 in support of Richie's Spirit Foundation.
Teams of up to five players were guaranteed to play at least two games. Each game, lasting 15 minute, was officiated by regulation referees. Players also had the opportunity to participate in shooting contests and raffles. Texadelphia provided food and beverages for players and spectators.
Thank you to all who helped to make this year's event a great success!
Second Annual Hoopin' It Up for Richie - Austin, TX
The Second Annual Hoopin' It Up for Richie 3 on 3 Charity Basketball Tournament was a huge success, raising more than $700 to help promote organ donation. With the continued support of Texas AEPi, the tournament welcomed enthusiastic participants for a competitive day of games and shooting contests. Participants and spectators also received educational materials about organ donation and were treated to a special video about Richie's life and legacy.
A special thank you to the University of Texas - Austin and Texas AEPi for their continued support. To those who participated, we appreciate your competitive spirits and enthusiastic support of our cause.
First Annual Hoopin' It Up for Richie - Austin, TX
On March 3, 2012, Richie's Spirit Foundation partnered with Texas AEPi Fraternity to host its second annual Hoopin' It Up For Richie 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. The event took place at Gregory Gym on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. Over 20 teams participated in the tournament, which was generously sponsored by A&A Optical, Ron Weisfeld, Irving Pozmantier, and Kaplan Learning Center.
Following the tournament, participants and friends celebrated at Molotov and Peckerheads, two of Austin's most prominent downtown bars, where a portion of the evening's proceeds went to Richie's Spirit Foundation.
Hoopin' It Up for Richie - St. Louis, MO
On April 17, 2011, Richie’s Spirit Foundation hosted its first-ever Hoopin’ It Up For Richie 3-on-3 charity basketball tournament in St. Louis, Missouri. The tournament was organized by Noah Hartman, a good friend of Richie’s.
Over 50 middle school kids from the St. Louis area participated in this inaugural event. The event, which celebrated playing Richie’s favorite sport, had the best scoring teams advance in an elimination bracket.
Sponsors for the event included Cooperative Home Care, Patriots Home Care, BJC Healthcare, and Foundation Care Specialty Pharmacy.