More than 1,000 people couldn’t be wrong — Celebrate our Children in Aurora’s McCarty Park was a great success.
The blistering heat didn’t stop East Aurora families from partaking in a bevy of activities at the 18th annual urban festival.
There was no shortage of fun to be had. Youth of all ages donned face-wide smiles while painting, shooting baskets, playing African drums, climbing giant inflatables and winning prizes.
A HUGE thank you to everyone who made the event a great success — the planning team, other organizations and churches, volunteers, sponsors, vendors…. the list goes on. You guys rock!
Dameon Mason doesn’t have to be here, at this small gym.
He’s only a few weeks removed from playing professional basketball overseas, and in a few hours he will travel to nearby Plainfield to his paying gig training top-notch collegiate players.
He’s not on the clock here, at the dimly lit Fred Rogers Community Center. And there’s no collegiate players in sight. That doesn’t matter much to Mason, who’s running an intensive basketball camp for Triple Threat youth.
“It’s my ambition and drive to help out the community and the kids. And so is Triple Threat’s,” he said.
On this certain day, he strides onto the hardwood floor, dressed in black Nike gear and a smile. Like magnets, two dozen eyes gravitate toward his towering frame. The inaudible admiration is thick. If not before, they now all know who he is.
Dameon Mason.
West Aurora High School hoops hero Dameon Mason. Louisiana State University Dameon Mason. Overseas pro Dameon Mason.
And Dameon Mason knows that. And with that notoriety comes responsibility, a trade-off he willingly takes.
The dozen or so players on the court any given day might not make it pro, or even make the varsity high school squad. So why does he pour so much time into them?
Because when he talks, they listen.
“Dameon is the perfect guy for this camp,” said Triple Threat athletic director Ken Abbott. “The kids look up to him, and for good reason. He teaches more than shooting and dribbling drills. He teaches character and respect.”
Sure the jump shots and spin dribbles are aplenty. Ask the kids who’ve mastered the drills they’ve done so many times it’s video game automatic.
Also ask them what makes a good leader and how to make an impact in their community. They’ll know those answers, too.
That’s because Mason makes sure to teach them. Sure, he can refine an already polished college basketball player into a better basketball player. But with Triple Threat, he can help mold a troubled young man into the pride and joy of the neighborhood.
That’s why he’s here, at this small gym.
“I’ve seen the kids go by the wayside. I’ve seen great kids and great talent,” Mason said, before taking a long pause. “That’s why I’m playing basketball and doing anything I can to help Triple Threat’s cause.”
In the short six weeks of the program, he’s already seen the fruits of his sometimes-strenuous labor. Campers are more respectful. More knowledgeable. Better at making decisions.
“They’ve been growing constantly,” Mason said. “That’s what I enjoy most”
It couldn’t be easier to help Triple Threat Mentoring.
Simply shop at the JC Penny in North Aurora between August 4th and August 14th. When you check out, you’ll be asked if you’d like to round up your purchase to the nearest dollar, with that change going to Triple Threat.
So if you have some back-to-school shopping to do, make sure to head over to the JC Penny right off of Interstate 88 at Orchard Road. Your contribution will go a long way in helping us empower under-resourced youth.
You only need two hands to count the number of days until one of Triple Threat’s biggest celebrations of the year.
On Saturday, August 14th, from 12 – 4pm, Triple Threat will team up with the City of Aurora, area churches, non-profits and volunteers to offer the annual urban festival for youth called Celebrate our Children. Last year, about 2,000 people filed into East Aurora’s McCarty Park to enjoy the free event that features live entertainment and special attractions, rides, carnival games, prizes, community booths and more. Plan now to volunteer and join the fun.
Here’s a schedule of performances:
12 p.m. — Welcome and Opening Ceremony
12:15 p.m. — Singer Mark Leatham
12:45 p.m. — Hip Hop ConnXion Dance Group
1:30 p.m. — Merry Hearts Clowns
2 p.m. — Magician David Shareef
2:45 p.m. — Sal Escobedo’s Tae Kwon Do
3:00 p.m. — Hoola hoop contest
3:15 p.m — Triple Threat drum circle
3:45 p.m. — Jump rope contest
Stay connected to our Facebook and Twitter accounts for more details and we hope to see you there!
Take a drive around Aurora on any given summer day, and you’ll find hoards of youngsters fine-tuning their basketball skills at various parks and playgrounds.
Take a drive to the Fred Rogers Community Center in Aurora, and you’ll find a select group of youngsters working on becoming better individuals through the game of basketball. Triple Threat has teamed up with former West Aurora High School standout and current professional player Dameon Mason to offer a highly advanced-level basketball camp for 12 Aurora youth. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill summer basketball camp, though.
Triple Threat is concerned about more than just basketball skills. Every day, Triple Threat, Dameon and other area coaches provide players with the advice and guidance to help them develop as leaders off the court. During each day of the nine-week camp, youth encounter more than intensive basketball training. One hour is spent on other areas such as leadership, diet and nutrition.
After an hour of off-the-court training, campers hit the court for drills with Dameon.
Check out our gallery for some more photos of the camp.
Her rein as Miss Illinois has expired. But Erin O’Connor’s impact in Aurora through her time with Triple Threat won’t soon be forgotten.
Erin wrapped up her time as Miss Illinois in June when she crowned Whitney Thorpe Klinsky as Miss Illinois 2010.
Triple Threat is one of the charitable platforms for the Miss Illinois Scholarship Association, which means Erin made numerous trips to Aurora to volunteer.
Whether it was judging cheerleading competitions or leading an improv acting class, Erin left her mark with every smile she gleamed.
Here’s a look back at Erin’s time with Triple Threat
The Soopah Team has finished its training this spring for the BMX track and will begin racing on June 5th! We have been working on getting the kids safety gear and one item they needed was gloves. Meckwear is an upcoming apparel company which donated gloves for the Soopah Team! Even though the company is in the startup phase the company’s owner, Brent Mecklenburg wanted to help out. The gloves have great hand protection and are very comfortable. The kids will keep the gloves and be involved in getting feedback to the company so they can improve the design.
Basketball, obstacle courses, soccer and kickball are.
Such was the scenario for more than 150 students at Beaupre Elementary in Aurora. On Monday, they were rewarded for months of good behavior with an open gym with Triple Threat. Student accrued “Paw points” throughout the school year and could redeem them on an afternoon of sports and events with Triple Threat.
Congrats to all the youth at Beaupre on their hard work. Turns out hard work can be fun.
A softball tournament that featured fully extended diving catches, flawless double plays and nip-and-tuck battles deserved a fitting finish.
That’s exactly what fans got Saturday at the Triple Threat and District 131 Co-Ed Softball Tournament. It took extra innings to decide a winner, but the Bardwell Bears eked out a win over the Oak Park Lions.
Teams from across the district participated in this years tournament, which brought with it uncharacteristically cold May weather and resoundingly hot hitting and fielding.
Plenty of action was brewing outside of the two softball diamonds at Phillips Park. Whether it was face painting, an obstacle course or one-on-one soccer, there was plenty of fun to be had for youth of all ages.
Triple Threat is sending out a big thank you to all of the hard-working volunteers who make our events possible. Thanks guys!
