BANGOR, Maine – Eddington resident and Bangor-area McDonald’s owner/operator Gary Eckmann was selected as the recipient of the 2015 Maine Basketball Hall of Fame Director’s Award.
The award recognizes a person or organization that has made significant contributions to the development of basketball in Maine as well as the advancement of the mission of the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame.
Eckmann also was a standout high school basketball player and a 1,000-point scorer who grabbed 856 career rebounds at Bentley University.
In 1988, Eckmann spearheaded the Maine McDonald’s Owner/Operator Association’s sponsorship of the annual Maine High School Senior All-Star Basketball Games. During the past 28 years, he has worked alongside members of the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches to make the Maine McDonald’s High School Senior All-Star Basketball Games a premiere event for Maine high school athletes.
The event has grown to include an evening awards banquet to honor all-star team players and coaches and a day of boys and girls all-star games along with the State Foul Shooting Championship, and 3-point shootout and slam dunk competitions. Eckmann continues to be an active organizer and supporter, and a champion for the event’s signature Spirit of the Game Award, which has received national media attention. This year’s All-Star Weekend will take place March 11-12 in Bangor.
Proceeds from the event support the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine and Maine’s Ronald McDonald Houses in Bangor and Portland, which provide free lodging to families with a child fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses at a local hospital. Eckmann also was a founder of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine in 1989.
“It has been a pleasure to work with the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches to give high school seniors and their families a memorable weekend that they deserve,” Eckmann said. “A lot of people make the Maine McDonald’s All-Star Basketball Games successful each year, and I’m honored to be recognized by the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame on behalf of all Maine McDonald’s owners.”