History
The first Bay Street Hoops tournament was held in 1995 and was mostly about basketball. With eight law firm teams and less than $10,000 in proceeds, we never imagined it would get much bigger.
Over the next few years, the tournament grew. People loved the tournament and teams from all areas of Bay Street were signing up. We realized we had hit on a great idea.
It was then that we decided that the tournament should be about more than just basketball. It should also be about giving back to the community.
As we started focus equally on basketball and community, we also made the decision to engage directly with the groups we were supporting.
We chose to focus on smaller children and youth charities. We wanted them to be part of the Hoops committee and the tournament. We wanted to be part of the chosen organizations. We wanted to experience the impact our efforts had on the children and youth.
Today, Bay Street Hoops features
close to 80 teams, divided into eight men’s divisions
and two women’s divisions, representing all skill
levels. Last year, more than 700 players from Toronto’s
leading law and accounting firms, financial services companies
and other corporations, as well as hundreds of spectators
and volunteers, attended the tournament and its related
events.
Since 1995, over $2,000,000 has
been raised for children and youth charities in the Toronto
area, including close to $140,000 in 2011.
This year’s fundraising
goal is $200,000. The supported charities are Special Olympics of Ontario, KidSport, and Bay Street Hoops Youth
Basketball Initiative.
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