VIDEO: The AYC basketball tournament was a roaring success!

The courts were packed, the energy was electric, and our Allen Youth Center family showed up in a big way.

Our basketball tournament brought out over 40 young athletes and a cheering crowd of relatives and parents, maxing out our attendance at around 60 people for an unforgettable day.

We kicked things off at 11 a.m. with an amazing crew of youth who arrived early to set the gym up—rewarded with plenty of pizza, naturally. Once the games began, we kept the athletes fueled with ice-cold Gatorade and fresh-cut watermelon. The competition was fierce but friendly, and we wrapped up the brackets by handing out ten $25 Visa gift cards and ten $15 Dairy Queen cards. Since DQ is an absolute neighborhood favorite, those prizes were a massive hit!

None of this magic happens without our volunteers. Precious, our Community Support lead, refereed every single matchup like a true champion. We also had parents jump in to manage the scoreboard, which gave us the funniest memory of the tournament: "Uncle Jim" wrestling with the manual number flipper. At one point, he proudly hoisted a score of "92 to 04" high in the air, leaving the players utterly baffled. We are still laughing about the sheer confidence he had holding that sign up.

Beyond the laughs and the competition, the most impactful moment was watching the kids take charge of their own space. They jumped in to keep time, helped referee, and when the final buzzer sounded, they hauled the heavy tables inside and scoured the grounds for trash. Seeing them treat the center with such deep respect and ownership was the true victory of the day.

We Couldn't Have Done It Without You

This tournament was the second goal of our fundraising campaign, and we want to send a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far. Your generosity made this unforgettable day a reality.

But we aren't stopping here. We still have crucial milestones to hit to ensure our youth center can continue to thrive.

As you can see, our upcoming goals include tackling much-needed HVAC repair costs and keeping the center's food pantry fully stocked for the families who rely on it.

We need your help to cross the finish line. Every contribution, big or small, directly impacts the kids in our community.

Click below to donate and help us reach our next goals:

Thank you for continuing to support our youth!

Find the full details about our campaign here.