Trustee Has Hoop Dreams to Bring Basketball Contest Back to Town

A contest that put Montgomery on the map last year could make its way back into the village this summer.

During last summer’s Montgomery Fest, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce presented the Shoot for the Loot contest where people paid $3 a ticket to be entered into a raffle. Two people were chosen from the raffle to try and sink a 60-foot basketball shot.

Aurora resident Blaine Schepp made the shot and won the contest’s grand prize of $17,500, sponsored by Montgomery State Farm agent Mark McGee and Oswego State Farm agents Janna Misek and Mark Erickson.

A video of Schepp’s achievement ended up being featured on America’s Funniest Home Videos, and the award-winning shot can still be viewed on YouTube.

Trustee Matt Brolley, who spearheaded the event last year when he was a member of the Chamber of Commerce board, said the event was so successful he wants the village to sponsor it for this year’s festival.

“We need to do this again and cash in on the success from last year,” he said.

Chamber President Jennifer Jones Sinnott said last year’s contest was held to celebrate the village’s 175th anniversary.

“It was something out of the ordinary,” she said. “That’s why we chose the amount of $17,500.”

Brolley is hoping to not only bring the event back, but also expand it.

“Maybe we’ll do five shorter shots to get more people involved,” Brolley said.

He is hoping the Shoot for the Loot could raise money for gateway signage in the village.

“We’d keep whatever money is raised local,” Brolley said.