Hoops For Haiti Tournament Offers a Fun Way To Give Back

Roughly 60 people — a mix of students, faculty, and staff who participated as players or as volunteers — were a part of the 2026 Hoops For Haiti 3x3 basketball tournament held March 4 in Alumni Gym. This year the annual tournament raised $768 to be donated directly to the St. Rock Haiti Foundation.

The 3x3 tournament fields teams of five to six players; all teams are gender-inclusive, and no team may have more than two varsity basketball players. The half-court games are decided by the first team to 11 points or the team leading after a 10-minute period if that point total hasn’t been reached. 

“Hoops For Haiti was community-building at its best: students, faculty, and staff sharing the court, cheering each other on, and giving back,” said Director of Global Engagement Kim Gilmore, the faculty advisor to the event’s planning team. “The generosity was remarkable.” 

As examples of that generosity, Gilmore made note of one faculty member who donated $100 and one senior who personally sponsored the event’s entire snack table — shopping the night before and selling snacks all afternoon to bolster the funds Thayer could send to the nonprofit. 

“Thank you to everyone who played, volunteered as a ref, donated, or showed up as a fan,” continued Gilmore. “Your presence was felt and appreciated. When our students organize events like this, they aren’t just playing basketball — they’re living out Thayer’s mission to rise to honorable achievement and contribute to the Common Good.” 

In 2010 Haiti suffered a massive earthquake that sent the country into shock. Wanting to help the thousands who were without shelter, food, and water, Thayer students started a club called Hope For Haiti and partnered with the St. Rock Haiti Foundation. In 2013, a group of students — Gabe Bresnahan '15, Tom Kotopoulos '15, and Jack Cadigan '15, who wanted to continue with their support of Haiti — started the 3x3 basketball tournament to raise funds that would aid St. Rock Haiti with their mission to improve the lives of all Haitians. The annual games have continued since then.