ESCANABA — The Escanaba Noon Kiwanis Club is hosting its 40th Annual Upper Peninsula Regional Special Olympics Basketball Tournament Feb. 24 and 25 in Escanaba.

It will include more than 350 athletes and volunteer coaches and chaperones from across the U.P.

Kiwaninas organize and recruit volunteers from Kiwanis clubs ad the community. Dorothy Kollmann, co-director of the event of the since the beginning, said it takes a lot of volunteers to put the event on.

“People in the community help with giving directions, keeping score, working in the kitchen, putting sandwiches together, washing pots and pans and then serving food out on the serving line,” Kollmann said.

To learn more, go to escanabakiwanis.org. Kollman says they also need the community to attend and cheer the special olympians on.

Opening ceremonies begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, at the Escanaba High School Gym. Games will begin at 6:30 p.m. A dance, featuring the band of Dan McDonald, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the commons while the games are being played in the gym.

On Saturday, Feb. 25, basketball games will be played from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The closing ceremonies are at 3 p.m.