Dust Bowl offers hoops, help to area families | Community Spirit

Light of Chance, Inc. will host the Dust Bowl 2012 August 3-5 at the Dr. Festus Claybon Park in Madisonville.  The Dust Bowl is annual basketball tournament that has been a summertime tradition in Madisonville for decades.

When Light of Chance took over the event three years ago, organizers say they decided to use it as a platform to unite and restore the family and community environment, while bringing awareness to health issues, assisting families with purchasing school supplies and giving back-to-school haircuts. By adding these free services, Light of Chance has transformed the Dust Bowl into more than just a fun tradition, but one that also helps meet the needs of the community.

“It is an honor to continue an event with such a long and rich tradition,” says Light of Chance Founder/Executive Director, Eric Logan.

“Each year we improve upon the previous and this year will not be any different. More games will be played in the evenings to help avoid the heat. We have added a voter registration and organ donor drive. In addition, we are anticipating an increase in the number of teams.”

Logan continues, “This year's competition is tougher than ever.  For the last three years, Team Elite from Madisonville has won. We have been scouring the tri-state to find a team talented enough to beat them and we think we’ve accomplished that.”

The tournament’s $200 entry fee is due by July 30.  The fee may be paid at the Light of Chance office (located inside the Rosenwald-Smith Multicultural Center, 208 N. Kentucky Ave. Madisonville, KY 42421) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays or online at lightofchance.org.

School supply donations may also be dropped off at the Light of Chance office. For additional information, visit the Light of Chance website or contact Eric Logan at (270) 339-0717 or eric.logan@lightofchance.org or Perry Brown at (270) 792-4507 or pjb@ius.edu.

The Dust Bowl will come fresh off the heels of Light of Chance’s Southern Heat Softball Classic, which is held this month and is expected to be even better than before.

“We are expecting a record number of people at this year’s Dust Bowl. We welcome every family member, from the infant to the grandmother,” Logan says. “We are going to have great time and it is something that should not be missed.”

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