With just under 50 days until Hooplandia, powered by Hoop It Up, things are really revving up at Eastern States Exposition (ESE)! Hooplandia event organizers visited a few of the sponsors that make the weekend-long tourney and festival possible, including Your New England Ford Dealers.
Recently, Tim Garstka, ESE’s director of Sales; Sam Roberts, Hooplandia event coordinator; and Brian Geitner, group sales and promotional outreach intern; and Mackenzie Coburn, sponsorship sales manager, visited Sarat Ford of Agawam, Mass.; Ford of Greenfield, Mass.; and Marcotte Ford of Holyoke, Mass., to gift each dealer five team registrations.
“We are thrilled to have Your New England Ford Dealers as supporters of Hooplandia,” said Garstka. “This partnership supercharges our ability for team outreach and keeps Hooplandia affordable for the entire family. We will also have a full complement of incredible Ford vehicles on display throughout the grounds at the tournament.”
At Marcotte Ford, Hooplandia organizers were greeted by the dealership’s president, Mike Marcotte, as well as director of Marketing, Sue Keller. Following the visit, we connected with Marcotte and asked him some questions about his longstanding loyalty to the tournament.
“I always look forward to the Hooplandia weekend,” Marcotte said. “It has already grown—in size and hype! To have Hooplandia at [ESE], in our area, brings so much excitement for kids of all ages. When I played [basketball] growing up, we played in multiple 3x3 basketball tournaments. It was always competitive and brought out the best players to compete and have fun. Hooplandia has brought that back and taken things up a notch for all ages with many activities throughout the weekend.”
When asked to elaborate on his own basketball history, Marcotte said, “I grew up playing basketball nonstop, 24/7. I played all year long and met so many great people. I learned so many life lessons playing basketball. To this day, when we interview someone [for a position] at Marcotte Ford, we always ask if they played team sports,” he confided. “Sports create so many values and learning experiences: whether its winning, or losing, or learning how to build someone up when they are down, or teamwork, or finding your specific role to help the whole team.”
In January, Marcotte Ford was one of six dealerships selected to be a 2025 Salute to Dealers Honoree out of more than 10,000 global Ford dealerships. During the reception for this prestigious recognition, an informational video and commemorative portrait about Mike’s community involvement were unveiled. Both named Mike’s commitment to Hooplandia as a shining example of his altruistic approach to business.
“Last year, Saturday was my favorite day [of Hooplandia],” Marcotte continued. “[Marcotte Ford] was able to sponsor several teams and watch them play nonstop. Once one game was over, another game was starting, and we got to see multiple… Where else can you catch that much jam-packed basketball in one day and weekend? The kids were having so much fun, and it was so great to see parents cheering them on.
“Sunday was also incredible; we watched the finals on the court at Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. I wish we had that experience growing up. I know the kids will never forget that experience—it’s a memory for life,” he concluded.
For this reason and more, Your New England Ford Dealers is one of the incredible sponsors that fuel the Northeast’s Ultimate 3x3 Basketball Tourney + Festival, and Hooplandia is grateful for their support!