MONTICELLO, NY — Monticello Elks Lodge #1544 is proud of Grayson Slater, who advanced to the Elks Hoop Shoot Finals (boys aged eight and nine); the shoot was held in Chicago in April. Grayson went 14-for-25.

Four youngsters in that category tied with 24 baskets each. 

Grayson now has four Elks Hoop Shoot trophies to display: U.S. Northeast Central Regional Champion, New York State Champion, New York East Central District Champion and Monticello Lodge Champion.

The Elks Hoop Shoot sponsors the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s annual Morgan Wootten Lifetime Achievement Award. The Hall of Fame awards two Wootten Awards annually to boys’ and girls’ high school coaches who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of student athletes. 

The award is named for Morgan Wootten, a legendary high school basketball coach enshrined at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. 

The finals were first played in 1973. In 1974, the Elks National Foundation started funding the program. One of the first orders of business was to allow girls to fully compete in the contest.

The Monticello Elks Lodge supports local Veterans, Scouts, Little League and the Federation for the Homeless, and provides coats and gloves to elementary school children in Monticello and Fallsburg.