Jolena Cruz, of Springfield, Mass., is a Head Start teacher with a passion for volunteering. When she is not working, she seeks every opportunity to get involved in the community and generously gives her time to organizations such as The Salvation Army and Hooplandia.

She first discovered the Northeast’s Ultimate 3x3 Basketball Tourney + Festival while scrolling through lists of upcoming local events on social media. “I thought, ‘I’m not working that weekend! I can do this,’” said Cruz. “If I’m not volunteering or working, then I’m at home, and that’s boring. I always enjoy volunteering, and I have a fun time. I have worked at Hooplandia for the last two years of the event, and I will always make sure I free up my schedule and take that weekend off.”

Our Hoop Scoop reporter asked Cruz if a love of basketball or history playing on a team inspired her to sign up. In response, Cruz laughed and said, “Oh no! My brothers played a lot of basketball in the backyard growing up. As their younger sister, I watched them all the time. I’m not the best player, but I could tell they loved it, and I liked to be their cheerleader.”

During the event, Cruz helps with pre-event setup and is a greeter at the check-in tent. “I am lucky to see all the people first through check-in. I love being front and center with a smile,” Cruz shared. She also commented that she loves the diverse group of people that the event draws in. “Kids come running in to show off jerseys that they made themselves, and others are proud of those they designed and bought. Regardless, they all come to check-in happy.

“This will be my third year coming back. I am an extrovert, and I went in with an open mind and met kind people and a team of volunteers and employees I loved. We all have a good laugh when we ask players why they picked their team names, too.”

When asked why others should volunteer, Cruz emphasized, “There is no negative energy. Rain didn’t stop us–we just moved the whole event inside, and lots of people ran around in the rain and made the best of it. Everyone may be competitors outside of here, but we are all in it together at Hooplandia. It’s the best. I encourage anyone to try it, even if you aren’t sure that it’s your thing. I don’t play basketball, but I enjoy being at basketball events. You don’t have to be a player to find someone to support and have a good time.”