Gus Macker publicly honored and celebrated co-coordinators Reisner and Ringel by praising the Iron Mountain 3-on-3 Gus Macker Basketball tournament for having more than 250 volunteers and officials, 125 sponsors, excellent event preparation and tremendous community spirit and support.

The 33-person Macker I.M. Event Team begins meeting in October, followed by the national conference held annually in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The 2024 competition July 20-21 in downtown Iron Mountain had 275 teams that competed on 30 courts in the 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, and drew 18,000 to 20,000 participants, volunteers and spectators to the area for the event, its fourth year of returning to downtown after a long hiatus.

“Never before have we had the great pleasure of working with such an amazing large group of volunteer leaders who dedicate many hours before, during and after the annual weekend of Gus Macker Basketball,” coordinators Reisner and Ringel said.

THE GUS MACKER Hall of Fame plaque for Barb Reisner and Jonathan Ringel, co-coordinators of the annual basketball tournament in Iron Mountain. (Submitted photo)

Macker I.M. Event Team Leaders included: Dave Beauchamp, Debbie Beauchamp, Kathryn Bilgreen, Michele Boehmer, Pam Branam, Teresa Cornelia, Tara Coss, Meg Dallapiazza, John Estes, Cherie Fila, Mike Fuller, Carole Gauthier, Ryan Gendreau, Alissa Hedlund, Dave Howorth, Tamara Juul, Suzanne Larson, Mark Lebo, Denise Maloney, Henry Mann, Sheri Mann, Brenda Mattson, Christine McMahon, Dian Miller, Jeanne Newberry, Helen Paquette, Jonathan Ringel, Barb Reisner, Dorian Saunders, Kelly Watt, Jen Witte, Kim Webb and Jane Wilson.

“Close to 300 were in attendance at the Hall of Fame Induction and we were very emotional, ‘fired up,’ thrilled and honored to receive this extraordinary, ‘far beyond belief’ award,” Reisner and Ringel said. “We have always been ambitious and we got the most ’round of applause’ when we reminded the audience that we work hard because ‘It Is All About The Children’ — our community center and Great Start motto.”

They were referring to the Imagination Factory Community Center they plan to establish in Iron Mountain Public School’s now-vacant original junior high school at 301 W. Hughitt St., across the street from the Imagination Factory Children’s Museum that opened in 2021 in the upstairs classrooms of the former Central Middle School.

The 3,000-square-foot children’s museum will move into a 36,000-square-foot, three-story building. All contributions from the Gus Macker event go directly to renovating the new Imagination Factory Community Center.

“In closing, everyone should remember it is because of our community that we are willing and able to serve others with great enthusiasm, humor and a fun spirit,” they said.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT BANNER for Barb Reisner and Jonathan Ringel being inducted into the Gus Macker Hall of Fame as co-coordinators of the 3-on-3 basketball tournament in Iron Mountain. (Submitted photo)

A full-page ad is on 10-A of today’s Daily News that lists all the 2024 Gus Macker sponsors, who continue to help the group to “‘Think Big’ by giving us energy, compassion and especially the love needed to continue our mission,” Reisner and Ringel said.