Maria (Silva) Wagemaker and her sister Michaela both participated in Petersburg Elks Hoop Shoots and went on to compete in the national competitions. They still have their basketballs, trophies and personalized jackets, and wonderful memories from an experience that gave them the conviction that they could take on and conquer difficult challenges.
Petersburg Elks Lodge hosted a dinner and awards ceremony last Thursday to honor the kids who participated in their annual Hoop Shoot.
Andy Worhatch, the Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot director, explained that at the competition each child shoots twenty-five free throws, then the local lodge winners' stats are sent to State Hoop Shoot Director Dena Sessler in Eagle River to determine the winners at the state level.
Worhatch estimates the local competition goes back to 1978 or so, "Somewhere around there. I won the 12-13 age bracket in 1980 and it had been going on for at least a couple of years before...
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