Magro Madness 2024 Basketball Tournament
On Saturday, March 2, 2024, starting at 9 AM, you’re invited to come out and enjoy a day of authentic Long Island spirit and sports with Magro Madness at LuHi gymnasium at 131 Brookville Road, Glen Head, NY. Whether you choose to compete in a 3-on-3 team, be a local vendor, or enjoy the games with family and friends, this is a must-attend event if you’re looking for a great Saturday outing and want to add more purpose to your day.
Magro Madness is a play on March Madness basketball and invites locals to a friendly and fun tournament of 3-on-3 basketball with a great purpose. Registration for teams to compete is only $100. Local businesses and hobbyists are invited to be vendors for just $50. Entry to the public is free. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
Jimmy Montana, Founder and President of MDP Lacrosse, started Magro Madness in 2014 to help raise much-needed funds for the Michael Magro Foundation, a Long Island 501(c) 3, which donates 90% of every dollar raised to families battling pediatric cancer. Magro Madness has raised over $46,000 towards this mission. “We’re hoping to raise that number tremendously in 2024 as the need is growing so fast,” shares Montana.
In 2004 Paul and Terrie Magro had both of their prepubescent sons, Marc and Michael, diagnosed with pediatric cancer within months of each other. Thankfully Marc is a survivor who lives a full life. Sadly, Michael quickly lost his battle within seven weeks of being diagnosed.
Most people would have given Terrie, then a Registered Nurse, and Paul, a professional chef, complete rights to “take it easy”, to “recoup” and even wallow a bit, but that’s just not in their blood.
Instead, the couple decided to start The Michael Magro Foundation to help other families dealing with the same unbearable diagnosis. “You not only deal with the devastating diagnosis of your child having cancer, but you also lose significant income as one parent has to stop working to care for your child full-time and expenses skyrocket,” shares the Magro’s.
Michael’s favorite two sports were Lacrosse and Basketball. “When Jimmy approached us with Magro Madness, it was the perfect way to both honor his life and bring the community together to help others,” recalls Terrie.
Since its founding in 2005, the foundation has raised and given away nearly $4 million directly to families in need, helping an average of 300 families a year. Patients are vetted by hospital social workers and bills are paid directly to vendors, often stopping evictions, car repossessions, and insurance cancellations. Sometimes the donations simply put food on the table.
On March 7, 2020, just a week before the COVID-19 shutdown, the Magro Madness tournament reached its highest registration ever with 50 competing teams, tables on tables of vendors, and
maximum capacity fans. “It was our biggest year ever,” says Jimmy Montana. “We’re hoping to get back to pre-pandemic turnout soon. We’ll be more than halfway there this year,” he adds.
Over the years, the tournament has been held at Hicksville Middle and High Schools until the move to LuHi in 2023.
Fellow Hicksville residents, Tom and Kim Kuck, LuHi staff members and graduates, fought pediatric cancer and lost their 5-year-old daughter, Amanda, 8 years ago. Tom is instrumental in securing the facility and managing operations on the event day. “We are honored to be able to help the Magro Foundation in any way that we can. When your family is impacted by pediatric cancer, it leaves an everlasting mark on your life,” shares Tom and Kim. “We were very fortunate to have lots of support, which began with the Magro Foundation. Terrie Magro was one of the first people to connect with us after Amanda was diagnosed. It’s important to us to be able to help the foundation raise money to do the same for other families affected by pediatric cancer.”
Countless others have contributed to the big audacious mission the Michael Magro Foundation carries. Ed Hebron, long-time CYO coach and organizer as well as Julia Bentrewicz, HHS multi-sport athlete and now teacher in Hicksville both play a huge role in making this event a success. Joe Slaninka, head coach of the wheelchair basketball program at Henry Viscardi School pushed skills to the limit when he led the mixed wheelchair 3-on-3 tournament. “It was surprisingly difficult for the non-wheelchair competitors,” laughed Jimmy. Tom Galati, MMF board member, will be a hype man and keep the crowd amped along with long-time contributor DJ Geoff Cohen. In addition this year we will have Le Selfie photo mirror taking pictures of the crowd that can be shared and enjoyed, They will all be on site this year and we hope you’ll be too. For further information please visit our website: https://michaelmagrofoundation.com