Local children will have the chance to showcase their skills on the hardwood later this week, as the Dowagiac Knights of Columbus hosts its annual youth free throw contest Thursday at Patrick Hamilton Elementary.

The event begins at 4:30 p.m. that afternoon at the Dowagiac school building, located at 614 Spruce St., with registration opening at 4 p.m. The competition is open to children from 9 to 14 years old, with no cost to register.

The children will be broken into six age divisions, with boys competing against boys and girls against girls. Ages 9 through 11 will shoot from a foul line 12 feet away from the basket, while 12- through 14-year-olds will shoot from 15 feet away.

Participants will be given several warm-up shots before shooting 15 free throws, and the child who sinks the most will win his or her age bracket. In the event of a tie, the top placers will be asked to take five additional shots. The child who lands the most of those declared the winner; this pattern will continue until there is a victor in the event of additional ties.

The winners of each age bracket will receive a certificate and the chance to move on to districts, said Richard Guernsey, organizer of Thursday’s event.

“All the winners from Thursday’s event will move on to an event in Kalamazoo in about two or three weeks, for a chance to go to state,” Guernsey said.

Winners in the state competition in March will have the opportunity to receive college scholarships, Guernsey said.

Organized for more than a decade by the Dowagiac service organization, the free throw competition normally draws between 10 to 20 children to the event, depending on the weather, Guernsey said.

“They always have fun, because most of them get to hang out with their friends,” Guernsey said. “They may not all go to the same school, but they may play basketball with each other in summer or go to the same church.”

Several volunteers with the knights will help out during Thursday’s competition, serving as score keepers and helping to return rebounds, Guernsey said.

“This is just another way for us to get our name out there, especially with children, who are our main focus,” Guernsey said.

The organizer encourages interested children to participate in Thursday’s event, especially as it is offered free of charge.