More
than 100 Shoot for Rory
The 2000 Hoops for Rory basketball tournament, held on September 22-24 in Highland Park, brought together more than 100 young players and raised $5,500 for the Rory David Deutsch Foundation. Attendance surpassed that of the 1999 event, as four teams of fifth graders and six teams of eighth graders vied for all-star status.
Rick Siegel, a Highland Park resident, and Verne Reich, who manages the Small Fry basketball program in Highwood, launched the annual competition and fundraising event in 1999.
The budding athletes who participated in the event were the recipients of professional guidance. Former UNLV coach Bill Bayno and 6' 11" Chicago Bull Jake Voskuhl held separate basketball clinics, and two NBA referees, Danny Crawford and Marc Davis, officiated the championship games.
A father-and-son three-point shooting match was also held. The Timco family of Buffalo Grove emerged the victors.
The winning eigth grade team, North Edge, was a combination of boys from Northbrook and Highland Park. The Highland Park Tigers wrapped it up for the fifth grade. Taking home the "Rory Sportsmanship Awards" were eighth-grader, Benji Fischer, and fifth-grader, Alex Parmacek.
"So many people helped make this event a success," said Siegel. "Michael and Nancy Greenfield were instrumental in coordinating the whole affair and were ever-present, as was Verne Reich. We could not have done it without Jeff Wechsler of the Highland Park Park District, who helped us secure the use of the school gym for the weekend."
Il Forno Pizza & Pasta of Highland Park generously donated pizza that was sold throughout the tournament. The sale of this pizza helped raise additional funds for the Foundation.
The weekend brought out the athlete and philanthropist in both children and adults. It was a special opportunity to merge having fun with helping others – a tenet of the Foundation's "Kids Making a Difference" program.
