AN EXPANDED format and additional support from new sponsors helped the 17th Annual Dr. Noel Paradise Memorial Swish-Out Childhood Cancer Challenge, presented by Maine’s credit unions, set a new fund-raising record and reach a milestone in the event’s fund-raising history. Maine’s longest-running benefit basketball tournament took place Feb. 13, and featured three divisions, including a first-ever Junior Swish-Out for Middle School students, which helped the event raise a record $27,281 for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. The record-setting amount brings the tournament’s 17-year total to more than $200,000 raised.

The tournament field was comprised of 33 co-ed adult teams from organizations, businesses and families from around southern, central and eastern Maine. There were also six co-ed teams of middle school students from towns across southern Maine.

V-Tec Learning Center of South Portland won the first-ever Elite Division championship, its fifth straight first-place finish in the event, with Portland Paper, cPort Credit Union and Maine Savings Federal Credit Union rounding out the top four. In the newly-created Just For Fun Division, the Skywalkers of Portland prevailed as champions, with Bill Dodge Auto Group, Emery Waterhouse and The Thunderstorm the other top-four finishers. The first champion of the Junior Swish-Out was the Falmouth Middle School eighth-graders, with the Mt. Ararat Eagles, Falmouth Middle School seventh-graders and Casa Novello completing the top four.