At VOA Alaska, our community is at the heart of everything we do. We are deeply grateful for the donors and supporters whose generosity made the recent facility upgrades at ARCH possible. To show our appreciation and celebrate these exciting changes, we brought everyone together on August 7th—our donors, supporters, dedicated staff, inspiring alumni, and the incredible youth currently in our programs—for a fun-filled afternoon on the court: the 1st Annual ARCH Hoopfest & Appreciation BBQ.
Having alumni return to cheer on our teams from the sidelines added a powerful layer of encouragement, connection, and mentorship to the day, showing our current clients the strength of our lasting community.
Basketball as a Tool for Healing
Basketball has quickly become a favorite activity for the youth at ARCH, and its role in our programs goes far beyond physical fitness. In behavioral health and recovery, sports like basketball serve as a therapeutic outlet for stress, emotional regulation, and mindfulness. Playing on a team teaches healthy communication, trust, conflict resolution, and mutual support—skills that are foundational to long-term healing and mental well-being.
Seeing everyone bring their competitive spirit and positive energy to the court highlighted the strength of our community. There was certainly no lack of teamwork!
A Surprise Draft and High-Energy Matches
To keep things fair and exciting, teams were drafted live on the day of the event. As participants arrived, they wrote their names on slips of paper and dropped them into designated bags for youth or adults.
With 16 total players ready to ball, the random draw worked out perfectly. We formed four balanced teams—each paired up with two youth and two adult participants—who battled it out half-court in a round-robin showdown. Guests, alumni, and spectators had just as much fun cheering from the sidelines as the players had on the court!
Tournament Highlights & Team Showdowns
Our four draft teams brought creative energy, great sportsmanship, and incredible effort to every matchup:
- Spiritual Gangsters
- AK Ballers
- Wrecking Balls
- The Punishers
After a series of fast-paced, hard-fought round-robin games, it all came down to a thrilling Championship matchup between the Spiritual Gangsters and the AK Ballers. Both teams played with heart, but in the end, the AK Ballers claimed the inaugural ARCH Hoopfest Championship title!
Heartfelt Thanks to Our Partners
Beyond our gratitude for the donors and community partners who support our facility upgrades and the ARCH program year-round, we want to give a special shoutout to the local businesses that made our August 7th tournament BBQ and prize giveaways a huge success:
- Linford Alaska for donating the delicious hot dogs, burgers, and buns.
- Alaska Chip Company for providing the chips.
- Raising Cane’s, Bear Tooth Theatrepub, Wild Scoops, and CARChuterie for generously donating gift cards and prizes for our tournament players and contest winners.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, played hard, cheered loud, and helped make this event an unforgettable celebration of resilience, healing, and community connection!
