2017 July 08: Chapel Hill Police Department and Orange County Sheriff at the Marcus Ginyard basketball camp Chapel Hill Community Day at Hargraves Community Center in Chapel Hill, NC. (Photo by Peyton Williams)
Chapel Hill is no stranger to basketball camps during the summer. Of course, the Carolina Basketball School is the camp Dean Smith made very popular and profitable for his staff who ran the sold-out sessions. Former Tar Heel star and current broadcaster Eric Montross has his unique Father-Son camp over Fourth of July weekend that is also sold out annually with a waiting list.
But the newest camp in Chapel Hill is special in a different way. Because it is free to kids lucky enough to sign up before it fills up. The camp is run by ex-Carolina player Marcus Ginyard, who can operate his Chapel Hill camp as a literal non-profit because he has two other camps in Virginia that young players pay to attend. However, the first Community Day and Marcus Ginyard Camp were held last month at the Hargraves Center in Carrboro.
The camp is supported by local businesses that supply t-shirts, food and equipment. Community Day is more than most basketball camps. Sure, it has stars like Tyler Hansbrough giving clinics, but also has demonstrations by the Chapel Hill Fire and Police Department that bring their fire engines, police cruisers and motorcycles over for the kids to see and interact with.
This two day clinic is available for boys and girls, rising 3rd-to-8th graders who live
2017 July 08: Marcus Ginyard basketball camp Chapel Hill Community Day at Hargraves Community Center in Chapel Hill, NC. (Photo by Peyton Williams)
in Orange County. The showcase demonstrations from the police and fire department share in Ginyard’s passion for cultivating positive growth in youth. Chiefs Matt Sullivan and Chris Blue make their firemen and officers available, and their presence is as popular as the pure basketball portions of the camp.
Ginyard, who has played professionally in Europe and Asia since graduating in 2010, takes pride in promoting a culture of hard work, sacrifice and teamwork, while still emphasizing having fun. He says he has been extremely blessed to share his love of basketball with hundreds of campers over the years and looks forward to bringing that passion to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community each summer.
Go to www.marcusginyard.com/camps for more information on Facebook and Instagram.
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