Local basketball teams including the Stratford Optimist Basketball
Association have received a total of $12,600 for the purchase of basketball
shot-clocks from the Trillium Foundation.
Perth-Wellington MPP John Wilkinson and Richard Smelski, Ontario Trillium
Grant Review Team member, made the announcement recently.
“Basketball is a great sport for our young people, especially due to people
like Dave Hurley and the Stratford Optimists,” said Wilkinson, in a press
release. “Shot clocks will help prepare our exceptional local young athletes
for university, college and international competition.”
Basketball Ontario has recently adopted the FIBA international rules for
basketball play that include the use of the 24-second shot-clocks. All
university and college basketball teams in Canada are following the FIBA
rules.
“We are very grateful for the financial assistance provided by the Ontario
Trillium Foundation,” said Hurley, president and coach of the Stratford
Optimist Basketball Association. “We had hoped to provide shot-clocks for
use in the three Stratford high schools, as well as for community use in the
new Agri-Complex. However, with our basketball program operating on a
‘shoe-string’ budget, it was impossible for us to fundraise the amount of
money required to purchase the shot-clocks for these gyms.
“Basketball Ontario was extremely helpful in assisting our successful
application to the Trillium Foundation.” The Ontario Trillium Foundation is
an agency of the Ontario government, granting money to community
organizations for the past 25 years.
Stratford is located in the Ontario Trillium region of Huron-Perth,
Grey-Bruce counties. The shot-clocks belong to Stratford Basketball
Association.  However, teams within Owen Sound and Hanover have benefited
from Hurley’s application to the Trillium Foundation as Stratford has a
written agreement with the Owen Sound Minor Basketball and with the Hanover
Youth Basketball for the sharing of the purchased shot-clocks.