Teenagers bring back basketball tournament to benefit Westchester County food pantry
CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. -- A group of high school friends are organizing a basketball tournament this weekend for a good cause -- to benefit not only a food pantry, but one that accommodates for food allergies.
The teens bond on the court in the Westchester County town of Chappaqua over their love of the game.
"We know that everyone loves playing basketball, and we love playing basketball," tournament organizer Jared Saiontz said.
And they share the desire to give back to a cause they also closely relate to.
"I was born with 26 anaphylactic food allergies," Saiontz said.
"I actually dealt with a couple food allergies, but I grew out of them, and then I've actually witnessed my brother have an allergic reaction, which is pretty scary," tournament organizer Justin Gostfrand said.
Last year, five teens, ranging from freshmen to juniors in high school, found a way to blend their common interests together by organizing the Hoop to Pack the Pantry basketball tournament to benefit the Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, which helps families dealing with food allergies and dietary restrictions. They're planning a second annual tournament for this weekend, with all proceeds going toward the same cause. It's safe to say it was a slam dunk last year -- they raised $10,000.
"As we are uncovering more people with more sensitivities, it's wonderful to be able to have that option so we don't have to say one day, 'Oh, sorry, we don't have that available anymore,'" said Trina Ward Fontaine, executive director of the Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.
Last year, the pantry served an average of 630 households per week across the Northern Westchester area. This past February, alone, it served 740 households per week, an over 17% increase, in a predominantly Spanish-speaking area. Families are asked in advance what their dietary restrictions are.
"We're frequently replenishing our supply and I know we're pretty close to having spent the entire donation from last year. We couldn't be more thankful," Fontaine said.
Saiontz, who is 16, and his friends are hoping to keep the tournament running as long as possible.
"We keep bringing kids who are younger to help with the process, so as we grow up we're gonna hand it down because we think it's super important," Saiontz said.
The tournament starts at noon on Sunday at Robert E. Bell Middle School. The boys said so far they've already raised more money than they did last year.