DRIBBLE RELAY 'Fast Break for Families'

YOUNGSTOWN -- The "Fast Break for Families" Dribble Relay, which is the "tip-off" event for the 2003 McDonald's All American High School Basketball Games, will be held Tuesday through Friday, Nov. 12-15, from Youngstown to Cleveland. The four-day relay, during which 300 Northeast Ohio high school basketball players from 30 teams will participate, is a prelude to the McDonald's All American game March 26 at Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland. Each player will dribble the ball about a half-mile over the 94-mile route from Youngstown through Akron to Cleveland. The relay will begin Nov. 12 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ronald McDonald House on 2405 Goleta Ave. in Youngstown, and will cover 24 miles the first day to Palmyra at 3 p.m. The first-day route will extend from Ronald McDonald House to Gypsy Lane, left on Gypsy Lane to Fifth Avenue, right on Fifth to Mahoning Avenue, right on Mahoning through Austintown, Lake Milton, Diamond and Palmyra to 10278 Talmadge Rd. The relay will make stops at the Ronald McDonald Houses in Akron and Cleveland before arriving at Gund Arena the afternoon of Nov. 15. Proceeds from the All American game and related game-week functions will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio (Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown). In the 25-year history of the game, more than $3 million dollars has been raised. The itinerary follows:
November 12 -- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Youngstown to Palmyra, 24 Miles. Poland boys, Rayen girls, Austintown Fitch girls, Austintown Fitch boys, Southington girls.
Wednesday, November 13 -- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Palmyra to Akron, 28 Miles. Southeast boys, Southeast girls, Rootstown girls, Mogadore girls, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary boys.
Thursday, November 14 -- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Akron to Independence, 25 Miles. Akron Central-Hower boys, Manchester boys, North Royalton girls, Parma Valley Forge boys, Parma Valley Forge girls, Independence boys, Independence girls.
Friday, November 15 -- 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Independence to Gund Arena, 17 Miles. Garfield Heights girls, Cuyahoga Heights girls, Cleveland Central Catholic girls, Cleveland Central Catholic boys, East Cleveland Shaw boys, Warrensville Heights girls, Warrensville Heights boys, Euclid boys, Cleveland John Marshall girls, South Euclid-Lyndhurst Brush boys, Garfield Heights Trinity girls, Westlake boys and Lakewood St. Edward boys.
Notes
First-day route -- From the Ronald McDonald House on 2405 Goleta Ave. in Youngstown at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, right to Gypsy Lane, left on Gypsy Lane to Fifth Avenue, right on Fifth to Mahoning Avenue, right on Mahoning through Austintown, Lake Milton, Diamond and Palmyra to 10278 Talmadge Rd.
Time -- It will take approximately 19 hours to complete the 94-mile trek from Youngstown to Akron to Cleveland.
Distance -- Participants will travel a total of 496,320 feet.
Court comparison -- The "Fast Break for Families" route is as long as 5,280 official basketball courts.
Comparison -- If placed bun to bun, it would take 1,488,960 Big Macs to cover the route.
Bounces -- Dribbling at an average of 5 mph, the ball will bounce nearly 100,000 times from Youngstown to Cleveland - an area that spans four counties: Mahoning, Portage, Summit and Cuyahoga.