Thousands of people gathered in the streets of Altoona today for the 21st annual Hoopsfest.
Hoopsfest founder Jim Kilmartin said the event means much more to the community than just being a basketball tournament.
Former NBA player, primarily for the San Antonio Spurs, and Altoona native, Johnny Moore said, "It's very important. This is a Christian oriented event and I think it's very important to give the kids of today a viable option to everything else that's happening in the streets."
Kilmartin said the event has grown from 15 teams competing in the inaugural tournament to 216 teams from six states, and one team from a different country, this year.
"For the community to embrace it. The town, the city, the local businesses. We're just really grateful," Kilmartin said. "It brings life. It's family friendly. It's wholesome. It brings great energy to the town. It's not just basketball, it's the culture. It's the environment that we put together."
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