The Gas Maker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament has been a significant event in Jamestown for several years, and it’s great to see City Council members stepping up to help new tournament organizer Pat Smeraldo keep the tournament in town. However, with the tournament now on its third local host organization and in need of $20,000 in outside funding to continue, there are concerns about its future in Jamestown.
Despite the challenges, the tournament’s return comes at a cost of $20,000 in federal ARPA funding. Still, it brings benefits to the city in terms of economic impact and an overall sense of activity downtown. All in all, it’s better to have a tournament than not.
Looking ahead, questions are being raised about the sustainability of the Jamestown tournament. ARPA funding won’t be available forever, and the current host organizations can’t continue to bring the tournament back year after year if it doesn’t at least pay for itself. If Gus McKer officials want to keep the tournament in Jamestown, they will have to work with local officials to find ways to keep costs down. Otherwise, the benefits to downtown may not outweigh the costs in the long run.