This was in Sunday’s (July 31st, 2016) Herald and News

Written By: Stephen Floyd, H&N Staff Reporter 

A local sports star returned to Klamath Falls this weekend to help host Lake Jam, a community festival featuring a three-on-three basketball tournament at Veterans Memorial Park.

Michael Nunes, who played for Henley High School and OIT before two years as a pro player for the Bucaneros de Campeche, in Mexico, returned to help lead Saturday’s tournament.

Nunes, currently of Scottsdale, Ariz., said his father approached him with the idea while Lake Jam was in the planning phase. Nunes said he saw the festival as a way to bring an all-entertainment event to Klamath Falls, which he said is “rich in athletic history.”

“The Basin showed up,” said Nunez of the turnout, adding the he believes the support of the community will help the tournament grow in future years.

“This will be an annual event,” he said.

Teams of many different ages and skill levels took part in the tournament, while games such as a beanbag toss and giant Jenga puzzles were played. Multiple vendors also participated with snacks and services for the crowd.

Nunes said the planning of Lake Jam owes its success largely to such businesses, who included sponsors from across the area.

“We couldn’t have done it without them,” he said. “It’s not me, it’s everybody else.”

Among the businesses involved was The Ledge, an outdoors center and rock climbing gym downtown. Owner Mike Angeli said Lake Jam provided a “shot in the arm” for local shops and residents and said Nunes’ leadership helped bring about such success.

“I think he put together a first-class job,” said Angeli.

Angeli was part of a group of sporting shops providing boat tours of Lake Ewauna and said their operation was the “lake side of Lake Jam.”

Angeli said part of their goal was to help residents experience what he called “gems that are right in front of them” and described how paddling just a short distance into the lake can place someone in the heart of nature.

“Just 50 feet out there is a totally different world,” he said.

Angeli said Klamath County is filled with “epic waterways” and said he hopes Lake Jam can help increase awareness of these recreational opportunities.

And the idea of getting outdoors and interacting as a community is directly in line with local Blue Zones Project efforts to encourage healthy decision-making.

Blue Zones Project hosted a table at Lake Jam, giving away free water and trail mix and answering community questions about the project.

“A lot of people want a little more information,” said Marketing and Engagement Lead Cort Cox. “It’s not just about exercise and diet.”

Blue Zones Project launched a public health campaign earlier this year in Klamath Falls to encourage healthy lifestyle choices based on the longest-lived communities in the world. Cox said Lake Jam was a good example of their goal to encourage outdoor activities and community interaction.

“I think it’s all in line with the Blue Zones Project,” he said.

Cox said any type of gathering that helps residents meet and interact with each other is a step in the right direction, as so much of health is tied to relationships.

“These sort of events are a great opportunity to do that,” he said.

Lake Jam was organized through the Klamath Falls Downtown Association, who expect to hold a similar event next month on Main Street. Arts on the Flyway is scheduled for Sept. 23 to 25 and will feature artist, musicians and vendors from around the area. Tickets and other information are currently available atwww.artsontheflyway.com.

To access this article or others on the H&N website, please refer to the link below: 

Lake Jam a Slam Dunk for Community, Organizers (Herald and News)