Post date: Dec 29, 2011 5:27:46 PM
TIM WATANABE - For the Redmond Reporter
June 30, 2007
Redmond Reporter - www.redmond-reporter.com
For Lee Martineau and his fellow Redmond High School alums, it’s all about the love of hoops.
Ever since 1998, when Martineau, 26, was a junior at Redmond he has been involved in organizing annual “dunk hoops” basketball tournaments for the school’s students and graduates. While the official height of a basketball hoop is 10 feet above the ground, Martineau’s 3-on-3 tournaments are played with 8-foot, 7-inch high hoops, which allows players not as athletically gifted as LeBron James to dunk.
“I met a friend in high school, Colton Trauter, ... It was his mastermind that led us to have our own “March Madness” dunk hoops tournament that first year,” said Martineau. “We rounded up 30 guys to field 10 teams, and it was a hit. We did it the next year and then everyone anticipated the tourney each year.”
After realizing that March weather in Washington didn’t make for the greatest basketball playing conditions, the tournament moved to the summertime when students were out of school and, more importantly, the sun was shining. The years passed, and the popularity of the tournament increased steadily as it became more or less a reunion event for Redmond alumni.
“It’s become just as much a social event as a competitive one,” said Martineau. “Everyone has gone their separate ways, but you know you’ll catch up with them every summer at the Redmond Dunk Hoops Tournament.”
Up until 2004, the entry fee for the tournament was $5 a head, with the total prize pool split among the winning team. It was that year that Martineau decided to make a slight but significant change to give back to the community that provided him with so many memories and hoops camaraderie.
He upped the entry fee that year, and together with Mat Brown, Will Prescott, Kevin Coffland and Todd Rubin, created a non-profit charity, the Echo Community Foundation. The ECF is a scholarship fund designed to help underprivileged local students pay for their post-secondary education.
“I realized that such a big thing should give back, so I made it charitable,” said Martineau, who now serves as president of the foundation. “Last year, Echo issued its first $1,000 scholarship to Henry Bi of Sammamish High School, who is now attending UW. This year we plan on granting him another $1,000 scholarship as well as announcing a new recipient from the graduating class of ’07.”
In addition to the money donated through entry fees, the other major component of the scholarship is the event’s after-party, which this year will take place at Palmer’s East, located at 7853 Leary Way NE in Redmond, from 8pm to close on Saturday, June 23rd.
“Every year since we turned 21, we have hosted an after-party at a local establishment,” explained Martineau. “A ton more RHS alumni, their friends and parents all come out for a social gathering to catch up with old friends, have fun and raise money for Echo.”
Many of the after-party guests, Martineau says, don’t play in or attend the basketball tournament. He encourages the Redmond community and particularly the RHS graduates to attend and help support a great cause. One dollar from every food or beverage purchased at Palmer’s during the after-party will go directly to the Echo fund.
“Echo parties at Palmer’s always consist of a ton of good people having good times, with some Journey karaoke sprinkled on top,” Martineau said. “For Redmond alums or out-of-towners, it’s a blast.”