MCLA's Kordana Organizes Tournament for Make A Wish Foundation

NORTH ADAMS -- MCLA's Brendan Kordana just wants to play basketball.

That’s why the Hoosac Valley alum put together last weekends Make-A-Wish Tip-Off Classic scheduled at the MCLA campus.

Fans were encouraged to show up and watch the games, which spanned two days. There were seven games on day one and seven for Sunday, including the championship game. Sunday’s action begun at 10:30 a.m. Games were played back-to-back. The championship tilt was at 6 p.m.

And this tournament was littered with locals, beginning with Kordana, Chad Misiuk and Pranam Lipinski, all former Hurricanes. Former Pittsfield High standout Sedale Jones is in the mix, as is MCLA forward and former McCann standout Adam Cottrell. MCLA point guard Benny Cuprill also participated.

The championship pitted Kordana and his team versus Jones, Lance and Trevelle Spratling of Pittsfield and Glen Davis a former Lee High School player among others.

Admission was free, so where was the money generated? Each team paid a $250 fee, which is all donated to M-A-W. Profits from the concession stand, as well as money donated at the stand also went to the foundation.  Kordana reported they raised over $500 in the two day event and he was very satisfied with the result.

"We don’t have much like that around here," he said. "We wanted to have a tournament and we wanted to do it for a good cause. Me and my girlfriend looked around at charities and decided on Make-A-Wish. It was a random decision, but that’s where the money is going."

The Make-A-Wish foundation helps ill patients receive a little fun, according to Kordana.

"They are in bad health," he said. "We should be helping them out."

(courtesy North Adams Transcript and MCLA Sports Information)