If you can shoot a basketball, you can make a difference. Elementary- and middle-school-aged children in the Upper Valley will learn that firsthand on Saturday, March 24, at a Hoops of Hope fundraiser from 10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cascade View Elementary School.

“Whatever effort they make, they’re actually helping other kids,” said Michelle Privatsky, a member of the Eastside chapter of Women of Vision, hosting the event.

Hoops of Hope, she explained, is a way to get children involved in raising funds to support the work of World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization working worldwide to solve community problems in sustainable ways.

Participants raise pledges online for their efforts to shoot free throws for a couple of hours. No one is officially recording the shots made, though, Privatsky, said, because “It’s not about that competition. It’s about attempts. It’s about trying and just getting out there.”

This is the first local fundraiser hosted by the Eastside chapter of Women of Vision, but Privatsky said they hope to make it an annual event. Their goal for the day is to have 100 children participate, and to raise $15,000.

All proceeds from the event will go to World Vision projects.

For more information, or to register, visit www.eastsidewov.blogspot.com.