The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Flin Flon Basketball Association is busy preparing for the 2004 Manitoba High School 'AAA' Provincial Basketball Championships, to be held here March 18-20. Preparations are well underway, with a number of events planned for the three-day tournament. A total of 16 teams, the best in the province, will converge in Flin Flon to compete for the Manitoba boys and girls titles. Hapnot has not hosted basketball provincials since the early '80s, and is excited about the opportunity to host the best players in the province. On the court, Hapnot will have to contend with some pretty tough competition. Off the court, it will be an opportunity for Flin Flonners to display the hospitality that they are famous for, to ensure that the experience is a memorable one for all involved. As part of the tournament festivities, a banquet and social event are being planned for the athletes and coaches, as well as a free throw competition/skills event. Many of the events are still in the planning stages, but the committee has been meeting weekly to ensure that the tournament is a complete success. "I'm really impressed with the commitment of the committee," said John Clark, committee chairperson. "I'm really encouraged by the number of people who have made a commitment to helping set up and run the provincial championships. Lots of really good ideas are coming out of the meetings. Everyone is willing to share the workload, and we're on the right track. The teams are working hard, too. As it gets closer, I think everyone will get more excited about it." Committee members will be visiting various community organizations and businesses to request assistance to offset some of the costs associated with running a tournament of this magnitude. "We are trying hard to do a great job of hosting provincials," said John Clark, host committee chairperson. "There are some costs associated with running the tournament, but there are also a lot of people that will be coming to our town, so we hope that it will benefit the community as a whole." One of the major costs involved in running the tournament is the banquet. Since the majority of money raised from the tournament gate goes back to the Manitoba High School Athletics Association, the committee will have to look at other ways to raise enough money to feed 300 people. The organizing committee is in the process of sending letters out to potential sponsors, and will be making personal visits to each business or organization by the end of January.
