Bilingual Basquetbol returns for its fourth year in a row, stronger than ever. Organizers and volunteers put together four day-camps, offering various activities and support in the sport of basketball. The camps were completely free of cost to participants, with a pizza lunch included.
The first session of 2024 was held at Irrigon Junior/Senior High on July 20th. The second, at the Boardman Pool and Recreation Center. The third was held at Armand Larive Middle School, and the final camp was held at Harrah Elementary School in White Swan, Washington.
During a water break, I spoke with Maria Romero, a longtime resident of Morrow County. Her three children, dedicated athletes, graduated from Irrigon Junior/Senior High School. Today, she and some of her family members are volunteering their time. Her son, Adrian Romero, is one of the co-founders of the organization. We discussed the program's origins and this year's progress.
Born out of the love for the sport of basketball, the big idea was to offer a skills camp to students of varying levels and all backgrounds, Romero shares. In hopes to better engage and include the Spanish-speaking community, the name and idea of Bilingual Basquetbol was born. Morrow and Umatilla Counties both have large populations of Spanish-speaking residents.
“It’s been very successful! We’re so blessed and just excited for them – that the community and the surrounding areas have embraced it. We have great sponsorship and want to give a huge 'Thank you,' to everyone that has been involved.”
This year, Bilingual Basquetbol had their most successful summer yet, hosting a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament at Armand Larive in June, in addition to their four summer camps. Local alumni have offered overwhelming support. Walking around the gym, I recognized volunteers from various areas, including Irrigon, Hermiston, Boardman, and more. It is so inspiring to see how regional communities have come together to nurture our students.
Esthetician Zuleyma Medel and Barber Michael Odell (@beauty_by_zully_ and @coco.kuts
on Instagram) and Oregon Rural Action were in attendance as well, offering information and
services to the community.
Find out how to get involved: https://www.bilingualbasquetbol.org/
Bilingual Basquetbol’s mission is to use basketball as a conduit to build more equitable communities.