The Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament is an important event for the city, and it’s great to see City Council members stepping up to help new tournament organizer Pat Smeraldo keep it in the city for another year. However, with the tournament now on its third local host organization and needing $20,000 in outside funding to continue, there are concerns about its future in Jamestown.
It took significant effort to secure the tournament for next year, with some confusion over funding sources and a collaborative effort by several council members to award ARPA funding and bring the tournament back on a different date. Looking ahead, there are questions about the sustainability of the tournament in Jamestown. ARPA funding won’t be available forever, and current host organizations can’t continue to bring it back year after year if it doesn’t at least break even.
If Gus Macker officials want to keep the tournament in Jamestown, they will need to work with local officials to find ways to bring down costs. The benefits of having the tournament in downtown may not outweigh the costs in the long run if sustainable solutions are not found. It remains to be seen what will happen with this beloved event in Jamestown moving forward.