100,000 Shots

HANDSWORTH SENIOR QUINN KEAST DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH I WAS EATING UP THE STORY HE HAD TO TELL ME, YET WHAT HE SAID TO ME BACK IN DECEMBER 2005 WAS SO QUIRKY AND COMICAL THAT I HAD TO REMEMBER TO TAKE NOTES.

BY HOWARD TSUMURA FOR THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE JUNE 5, 2008

Handsworth senior Quinn Keast didn't know how much I was eating up the story he had to tell me, yet what he said to me back in December 2005 was so quirky and comical that I had to remember to take notes.

It went something like this:

Knowing that it was his school's best chance ever to win the provincial boys Triple-A basketball championship, Keast, who lost much of the previous season to tendinitis in both knees, had vowed to take 100,000 shots over his summer holiday so he could better help his team win the 2006 title.

Rain or shine, he shot at the hoop, which happened to sit on a steep incline on the family driveway. It meant he was shooting all of those shots uphill.

When the neighbours complained about the noise, he negotiated a 10 p.m. curfew for himself. And to meet his obligation of walking the family dog -- a golden retriever named Sugar -- he'd boot a ball into the cul-de-sac between shots so the dog could go fetch.

Keast, of course, helped lead Handsworth to the B.C. title that March, but was tragically killed in a pedestrian accident on his high school graduation night.

His motto was to live life with no regrets, and through the efforts of the Quinn Keast Foundation, some $12,500 in scholarship money has been awarded to worthy student-athletes throughout the province.

On Saturday, the foundation presents No Regrets -- The Sequel, a day-long celebration of basketball on the North Shore.

During the day (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) at several area venues, players of all ages will be encouraged to come together and collectively do what Keast himself did that summer: Shoot a total of 100,000 shots.

Then in the evening, the attention shifts to North Vancouver's Capilano College for a hoops double-header. At 5:30 p.m., it's the North Shore Young Stars Classic matching the area's 2007-08 graduating all-stars against a team of recent grads. At 7:30 p.m., it's a rematch of the 2004 Howe Sound championship between rivals Handsworth and Argyle.

NCAA and CIS stars like Tyler Kepkay, Rob Sacre, Scott Morrison and Sean Burke are expected to play in that game. Admission for the twin bill is $10. Also, used but well-cared-for soccer and basketball shoes can be donated at the game to Hoops 4 Hope, which will send them to youth in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

For more information, visit www.quinnbasketball.net