3on3 basketball tournament aims to unite Elmont community

A basketball tournament hosted decades ago has inspired the executives at Universal Interactions to host a similar event in Hempstead in hopes of unifying generations.

Universal Interactions, a local nonprofit, will host its third annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament and slam dunk contest July 20 at Lincoln Park in Hempstead from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Executive Directors of Universal Interactions, Christiano, Antonio Marcello and Fenol C. LaRock created the tournament based on a similar tournament that was hosted in Elmont during their youth.

“Our message is to connect all generations together, the young and the old generations, make that bridge,” said Christiano.

Christiano has fond memories of the event that was hosted for a decade in their hometown. It welcomed students from fifth grade through college to participate in the tip off.

“We wanted to bring that back because we saw how packed it was,” he said of the original 3-on-3 basketball tournament, sponsored by State Sen. Jack Martins. “It was beautiful.”

There will also be a DJ and commentators to keep attendees engaged. “We try to make this (event) like the whole experience,” LaRock said.

There will be food available for purchase from trucks representing a variety of different cuisines including Caribbean and Spanish foods throughout the tournament.

The tournament will start with 64 teams, each round eliminating half of the teams until there is only one victor left. There is a maximum of four members per team, three of which will play and one who will be a substitute.

Participants range in age from 16 to 25 years old and must provide proof of age.

Universal Interactions has organized within the community including Thanksgiving dinners, back-to-school drives, a Black History Month concert, Christmas celebrations and the 3-on-3 tournament.

The organization relies on sponsors to help pay for the events, but sometimes there is not enough money to support them. When that happens, LaRock and the Marcellos often dip into their own savings to make sure the community can still get together.

“There are plenty of times where I use money that I made from my job, that I saved up,” LaRock said. “Me, (Antonio and Christiano) have used money that we saved up just to have this event going because we did not have enough sponsorship (money). To run an event like (this) it costs a lot of money, but we know that there is a big impact that can happen from it.”

LaRock hopes that the 3-on-3 tournament will benefit everyone and believes it is an event where the community can celebrate its unity.

The competition has grown since its inception, as approximately 1,000 people attended last year and the organizers expect as many, if not more, attendees this year.

“We’re trying to make it as big as it can be,” LaRock said.

He believes the event is “uplifting” for community members and has seen the impact of it firsthand.

“When I go to the school and speak to some of the students who go there, they are all excited about the tournament,” LaRock said.

“Seeing that excitement on people’s faces, it’s the reason why I keep on going,” LaRock said.

To register for the tournament or learn more about the organization’s upcoming events, visit @UniversalInteractions on Instagram, ElmontCommunityCenter.org/Events, or contact (646) 732-8105, (516) 853-1609 and universalinteractionsinc@gmaill.com.