It's almost time to fill out your March Madness brackets. We'll all know the teams by Sunday evening. The Yvonne Richardson Community Center in Fayetteville is raising money for a good cause, while giving you a chance to show off your hoops knowledge.
Joshua Lane Fiesta is the director of the YRCC, and he came to the Bruce and Ann Applegate News Studio One this morning to explain how a bracketology challenge with the YRCC works, what the money raised will do, and what the Yvonne Richardson Community Center in Fayetteville is.
A: YRCC, at its core, is a strong youth center. We have after-school programs and summer camp programs, and we have a lot of fun, and we work to also develop the kids there."
Q: During — or in advance of — March Madness, you can make a contribution.
A: So what we've got going on at the YRCC, we have our Bracketology Challenge with Samaritan's Feet International. It's simple. You go to our website — samaritansfeet.org/NCAAbracket. You donate $10 or more if you'd like, and you get entry into our bracket challenge. And that helps us get shoes for kids in the community."
Q: This is earmarked for sneakers for kids.
A: Where this really started from was a couple years ago at the center, where in summer camp — summer camps, a lot of fun — one of our best-behaved campers, just a kid that makes friends with everybody, just had really torn-up shoes. And our staff came together and bought him a new pair of shoes. And that really stuck with me because I saw leadership from my team. And I also saw how much that meant to that kid. And we're like a family there. So it made a real big impact on him."
Q: You can contribute $10, or you can contribute $1,000 — whatever you want. $10 is the minimum to get into the bracket challenge.
A: So you put in your donation, and then on Monday after Selection Sunday, you get a link to our ESPN bracket challenge. You fill out your bracket — first games are the First Four on Tuesday. So get your bracket in as soon as possible. We're counting the First Four.
The grand prize package includes a year membership to Planet Fitness with a Black Card, gift cards, and a signed, autographed basketball from legendary coach Nolan Richardson.
The Black Card gets you access to massage chairs, a sauna and additional amenities. With Planet Fitness, it's a free membership for a year with access to those add-on features.
Q: What are his tips for the brackets?
A: Obviously, Razorbacks all the way through. Other things: do multiple brackets. Do one for the heart — you know, what mascot beats a mascot? Does a grizzly beat a tiger? Does a Bruin beat a tiger? Round two, go SEC. I think we go far. And do a bracket where your heart's not in it, because I don't want to put Duke on anything — but they're looking really good this year.
One bracket per contribution. No doing 50 brackets and claiming the one that hit.
The website to enter: samaritansfeet.org/NCAAbracket. Contributions for the Bracketology Challenge can be made through Sunday, and the teams in this year's NCAA tournament will be announced Sunday evening.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a rush deadline and edited for length and clarity. Copy editors utilize AI tools to review work. KUAF does not publish content created by AI. Please reach out to kuafinfo@uark.edu to report an issue. The audio version is the authoritative record of KUAF programming.
