2012 T.O.U.C.H. HOOPS CLASSIC

After 2 years of preparation T.O.U.C.H. delivered and hosted our 1st Annual Scoonie Penn T.O.U.C.H. Hoops Classic basketball tournament on the weekend of July 6th-8th. The Scoonie Penn T.O.U.C.H. Hoops classic will be T.O.U.C.H.'s new signature event for years to come. Teams competed for a total of nearly $15,000 in cash prizes with Columbus’s own THE OHIO HOOPSTERS, led by Drew Lavender, taking home the first place prize of $10,000! Cleveland AmPro took home the second place prize of $2,500, and Team Detroit won the third place prize of $1,250. Antoine Stockman of Cleveland AmPro won $300 in the slam dunk contest which was sponsored by Piercology, and included celebrity judges Michael Redd, Greg Oden, Evan Turner, and John Diebler. Cordary Ballard from Team Detroit won the 3 point shootout and the $300 prize.

We would like to give a special thanks to our MVP Sponsor OXYWATER who stepped up in a big way. Also, special thanks to Scoonie Penn and what he called "a no-brainer" to support our ex-offender cause. His name and stellar reputation had a tremendous impact and created needed momentum to bring the event together. Other supporting sponsors included Piercology, DeVry University, Safe Auto, New Horizons, Popeye's Chicken, Harrison Alo, Evolution Printing, Skyline Chili, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Elite Dance Team from A+ Academy who put on a wonderful halftime performance with two choreographed dances.

A big thanks goes to the celebrities who came out to support our cause and made the event even more exciting: John Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale, Ron Lewis, David Lighty, Greg Oden, Michael Redd, Ron Stokes, Evan Turner, Granville Waiters, and many others. Thanks to the Buck-I-Guy who stepped in to MC the event on Saturday. Thousands of spectators attended throughout the weekend, and special guest DJ MIX MASTER ICE entertained the crowd. The 3-day tournament was a huge a success.