This local competition, only in its third year back after a long hiatus, has already become one of the most popular of all the cities that host a Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, organizers said.

Gus Macker tournaments are successful, they say, because of their small-town focus — tournaments come to a city and the entire community gets involved, resulting in a weekend of great memories.

“Gus Macker” is an actual person named Scott McNeal, who began hosting 3-on-3 tournaments in his driveway for cash prizes 49 years ago. Players usually were given nicknames and McNeal’s was Gus Macker.

When the tournament grew and spread out from his small town of Lowell, Michigan, it took on the name Gus Macker.

THE 5-FOOT-9 Tyler Sundling of Rapid River jumps over his friend, 6-foot-3 Kodey Goldi, also of Rapid River, on his way to winning the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament’s Slam Dunk Contest in 2022. The 2023 competition is set for Saturday. (Dennis Mansfield/Daily News file photo)

Now owner of Gus Macker LLC, McNeal’s favorite saying, which he uses often, is, “Fire it up!”

Every Gus Macker tournament gives back to its host community. The beneficiary of the Iron Mountain Gus Macker is the Imagination Factory Children’s Museum, which uses the money raised to fund new exhibits.

The mission of Gus Macker is to make it a fun event for everyone, players and spectators alike, said Barb Reisner, one of the local event coordinators.

“It is very family based. We don’t serve alcohol, we only serve healthy foods, except for sugar. It is a fun family weekend. It really is and that’s what we like it to be,” Reisner said.

This year’s Gus Macker will feature 260 teams on 28 courts, with more than 1,000 players, in excess of 200 volunteers and an expected crowd of nearly 20,000 spectators.

Planning for a Gus Macker tournament is a 10-month job, but according to Reisner, the 30-member planning committee is already looking ahead.

“We are really fired up to get ready for next year, too, because next year is the 50th anniversary of Gus Macker basketball. That is going to be a big time — we have 261 teams this year, we’re going to have 400 or more (next year), we will really be firing up,” Reisner said.

Sponsorship for this year’s event once again is at an all-time high. While many Gus Macker tournaments have about 15 sponsors, the Iron Mountain event has 150, 10 as major sponsors.

“There are sponsors that have been very consistent and have been with us all three years and we greatly appreciate that,” Reisner said. “We have 10 major sponsors, but of course we also have 140 other sponsors that we greatly appreciate.”

New sponsors this year include BOSS Snowplow and Upper Michigan Energy Resources, in partnership with We Energies Foundation.

Events get underway today with player registration from 4 to 7 p.m. in the middle school cafeteria, 227 W. Hughitt St.

At 5 p.m. today the Basketball Border Battle takes place with members of the police department facing firefighters.

Tournament opening ceremonies will be at 8 a.m. Saturday, with the day’s games starting at 8:30 a.m.

Dream Court games for younger players will go from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Also on Saturday is a three-point shooting contest for children from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with one group for ages 8 and younger and another for 9- and 10-year-olds. Sponsor is Dickinson County Tourism.

The free throw contest will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, open to participants of all ages. Sponsor is the Northern Lights YMCA.

After the games are done for the day Saturday, a slam dunk contest will offer cash prizes for first, second and third places. Sponsor is Kenneth James Salon.

Games resume at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, with championship games set for 10 a.m.

Dream Court games will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

Trophy presentations and closing ceremonies will be from 3 to 5 p.m.