DATE
AUGUST 2ND - AUGUST 4TH
LOCATION
Dr. Festus Claybon Park
593 Hopewell St.
Madisonville, KY 42431
$250/Team Entry Fee – Men’s Open
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2
+Games Begin: 7:00 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3
+Games: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4
+Games: 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
FOCUS
The Dust Bowl is a summer basketball tournament in Madisonville with a long-standing tradition and over 40 years of rich history. In 2009, Light of Chance took over the event and began using it as a platform to unite and restore the family unit and community while bringing awareness to health issues such as blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol. During the Dust Bowl, we assist with school supplies, providing back-to-school haircuts and hair-dos, and other services.
Since Light of Chance has taken over the Dust Bowl Basketball Tournament, it has been elevated to one of the top weekend basketball tournaments of its kind, while focusing on social awareness and the needs of the community. The uniqueness that Light of Chance brings to the Dust Bowl and community is unparalleled. It is one of the largest events in Western Kentucky and the biggest in the African American community. The Dust Bowl is family-friendly and exciting to experience.
The tournament includes a Men’s open division. Spectators and participating teams are attracted from Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The tournament is highly competitive with professional and collegiate standouts.
Light of Chance has transformed the Dust Bowl into more than just a fun tradition, but one that helps meet the needs of the surrounding community. Over the course of the weekend, the event attracts over 5,000 attendees. At the Dust Bowl, we screen over 300 people for high blood pressure and diabetes. We provide nearly 200 free back-to-school haircuts and hair-dos for boys & girls grades K-12, and school supplies for over 500 students ranging from preschool to college. In addition to the aforementioned services, there is also a voter registration drive, college fair, concert, and job fair. By providing these free services, the Dust Bowl has become a much-needed and appreciated feature of the Madisonville community.
FEATURES
I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
PROCEEDS BENEFIT
All Proceeds from The Dust Bowl Basketball Tournament benefit our Breathe | Youth Arts Program. Breathe provides free after-school art sessions, for grades 5-12 in Madisonville, KY located at 18 N. Main Street.
Breathe develops creativity while providing a positive learning environment for area youth to express themselves, engage in important issues, and experience personal and social transformation through the arts. The Breathe program educates and fosters artistic expression, leadership, and social skills through music, dance, creative writing, and visual arts. The program is a constructive creative outlet that encourages teamwork and teaches communication and problem-solving skills, which are essential in becoming responsible citizens.
Interested in being a sponsor?
ARTICLES
“It brings people together — people from different states,” White said. “There are different cultures and different foods. This is a great thing for the youth and the community. Everybody gets along. People are here that haven’t seen each other in years.” READ FULL ARTICLE
“In classic Dust Bowl style, the games had much more fun and casual feel to them than organized competition, with a DJ providing live music throughout the contests and a commentator giving his own colorful interjections such as “he got a little too fancy on that one” or “he’s 0 for the century.” READ FULL ARTICLE
“Hoops action and slam dunks continue today at the 34th Annual Dust Bowl and concludes Sunday at Dr. Festus Claybon Park. Light of Chance Director Eric Logan said the annual summer basketball Dust Bowl tournament that began Friday in Madisonville is a long-standing tradition.” READ FULL ARTICLE
“I hope city officials are more supportive of it. We are considering other cities, where local government is more supportive. We love Madisonville and the people here, but our organization believes in continuous improvement. We want to continue to grow. It’s going to be really important to have local government’s support to grow.” READ FULL ARTICLE
“It reminds me of Rucker Park,” said Albert Jackson, an Earlington native and University of Georgia alum who just finished a season in Argentina. “They have that same vibe and that same atmosphere. It’s the best Dust Bowl in Kentucky, and there’s no better atmosphere to play in, especially when it comes to street ball.” READ FULL ARTICLE
“We could not do it without all the community support and the community really embraces it,” said Logan. “Everybody looks forward to the Dust Bowl weekend and I love seeing the range of age from little babies to grandmothers and grandfathers. I love being able to bring something of this level to the community.” READ FULL ARTICLE
“It’ll be one of the biggest basketball tournaments of the tri-state… it always attracts some big names across the southeast and Midwest.” READ FULL ARTICLE
LOCATION
Dr. Festus Claybon Park
593 Hopewell St.
Madisonville, KY 42431
COORDINATORS
Eric Logan
270.339.0717
eric.logan@lightofchance.org
Perry Brown
270.792.2646
perryjeromeb@gmail.com
DURATION
Friday-Sunday