LEWES, Del.- Over the past three days, teams and players from along the East Coast showcased their talents, and for many local businesses, this is a hug opportunity for them to make some money. Many superstars in both college and the NBA have played in Slam Dunk to the Beach. Given a chance to showcase their talents. Tipping off in front of huge crowds full of coaches, fans, and families. But the local businesses also get a chance to shine. Matt Byrum, from Grotto's Pizza said, "It's nice that as soon as they see us, boom they want to taste us. Many people it's their first stop when they come down, they're coming down for vacation, they see our store in Milford a lot of times, they see our store at the Grand Slam in Lewes and that's one of the first stops they make." A lot of the vendors are returning for another year of successful advertising and sales. Chris Bruno, the owner of Maui Wowi said, "It's been five, six years that we've been here for Slam Dunk. it's nice because it's a local event, get a lot of local faces and see a lot of people you're use to seeing." The Rehoboth Beach Chamber of Commerce says that the average visitor spends about $100 a day when visiting the area. But the chamber also said that number can climb to over $200 when a visitor decides to stay overnight for an event like slam dunk to the beach, or even just for vacation. In the winter time, it can be tougher for these businesses. Charlie Pollard, the owner of Kick n' Chicken said, "It's a great opportunity in the middle of winter to have some high volume sales that help get through the seasonal economy that we live in. You know it's easy to be busy all summer long but when you get into the winter it can be challenging sometimes." Events like Slam Dunk allows the vendors to show people that they can do more, and build their brand from there. "Events like this is a great way for us to bring our products to the masses and realize that we can do catering, we do private parties, so it's kind of a two way thing. It's good marketing for us and it's a great smoothie," Bruno said. When it comes to the end of the day it's all about money. And with six games a day, and all the people coming through, it's sure to rake in some cash for the local businesses.
Economic Impact of Slam Dunk to the Beach
