Festival plaza to transform into 'basketball wonderland' for Battle 519
A three-day outdoor basketball battle is coming to Windsor this Labour Day weekend.
Battle Canada, a group that hosts basketball events and donates funds to local charities, is bringing a series of games to Windsor's riverfront.
Between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1, two customized basketball courts will be set up at Riverfront Festival Plaza. Twenty-four teams will play five-on-five.
Manny Pangilinan, the president of Battle 519, says the plaza will be transformed into a "basketball wonderland" and there will also be food and entertainment.
He says the sport is flourishing in the city, especially among youth.
"This is one of the key driving forces that made the decision easy...to bring Battle 519 to Windsor, to showcase our passion and growth of the game," he said Wednesday at a press conference at the University of Windsor, which is sponsoring the event.
Similar events have been held in cities like Toronto, and Pangilinan hopes the Windsor event will become an annual one.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said events like this can show visitors what Windsor has to offer — like its waterfront — and help change the negative perception of the city some people have.
"It's exciting for me as mayor to have all sorts of people coming and to have another event that the community can participate in, but it's so much bigger than the event itself," he said.
Teams can apply to participate online, and registration comes at a cost of $1,250 per team. The event is in support of Windsor-Essex Care for Kids Foundation and Windsor-Essex Hospice.
