50 JULY 2019 By Cody Kennedy Ella Zeff has been playing basketball since she was a kid. It’s made such an impact on her life that in her junior year of high school, Ella took the game one step further by hosting her first Arizona Hoops for Peace Basketball Tournament. PeacePlayers International (PPI) is a nonprofit that uses the game of basketball to unite and educate young men and women and their communities all over the world, in places such as the Middle East, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, the United States and South Africa. “I first found out about PPI five years ago. Ever since then I have wanted to help promote them and their vision. They believe that children who play together can learn how to live together,” Ella said. “I named this tournament Hoops for Peace since my local community played basketball to help create peace in areas of need.” This isn’t the first tournament Ella has held for PPI. She did so once before when she lived in California. “It was a very good start and gave me the inspiration to run this tournament again in Arizona. I love to see sports bring people together, so I felt this would be a great opportunity to do so in my community,” Ella said. The tournament took place in late April. There were two divisions: middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12), and anybody in those divisions was invited to play; the community was also invited to come out and provide support. Ten middle school and eight high school teams were formed to play a total of 45 games. Each team had a four-game guarantee and the top four teams in each division moved on to the playoffs. The first 36 games were played round robin style with the playoffs being the elimination round. In addition to the 3-on-3 games, there was a 3-point competition, with 30 players trying their best to make 10 shots from five different spots. This was Ella’s favorite part of the tournament. There were prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each division for both the 3-on-3 tournament and the 3-point competition, including sessions to train with local trainer Larry Arnold and a week of basketball camp with Arizona Athletics Basketball and gift cards to local businesses. Ella said that the most time-consuming part of setting up a tournament is spreading word around the community. Once the appropriate date and time was available, plus securing Arcadia High’s gym to play in, Ella had to contact sponsors and make sure teams were committed to playing. Ella was able to set up the entire tournament in six weeks. “We are very proud of her. She did the entire event herself while we provided support and encouragement when things didn’t go as planned. It’s a huge accomplishment and has become part of her identity,” Ella’s mom, Nicole, said. “Watching your child take control and fill a gym full of people having fun is surreal.” Ella’s sponsors for the tournament included Trader Joe’s, The Ice Den, Mod Pizza, Einstein’s, Bodi Scottsdale, Larry Arnold, Arizona Athletics Basketball and the Arizona Coyotes. Each player received a “swag bag” with a Hint water, Trader Joe’s cereal bar, PeacePlayers wristband, Sports Cuts coupon, Ice Den coupon, Nothing Bundt Cakes coupon, and a Coyotes water bottle in a Lululemon bag. “The best part is seeing her feeling of accomplishment for another cause and how she can create something from nothing and make an impact. You can see how it empowers and impacts a young person and how it makes her want to do more,” Nicole said. Ella raised $1,085 for PeacePlayers International and plans to continue holding tournaments for PPI. She would like to major in sports management or athletic training in college and work for a professional sports team or an organization similar to PPI. Arcadia High student hosts charity basketball tournament Ten middle school and eight high school teams played a total of 45 games during the Arizona Hoops for Peace Basketball Tournament, which was hosted by AHS student Ella Zeff (left). PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELLA ZEFF I named this tournament Hoops for Peace since my local community played basketball to help create peace in areas of need.” OliveIvyRM #oliveandivy Scottsdale Waterfront | 480.751.2200 Now through August, let us fill your glass with the flavors of summer. With four rosé wine features, find a moment, take a taste and decide: Which way do you Rosé? Rosé bottles are 20% off in the Marketplace. Buy a 4 pack of rosé and receive 50% off! Ask your server for more details.

51 JULY 2019 By Cody Kennedy My first thought upon walking into The Porch, Arcadia’s own gastropub situated near the corner of 40th St. and Indian School Road, was “There are games here!” The Porch has become a local favorite for late-nighters, weekenders and weekday lunch crews. What used to be known as the Shanghai Chinese restaurant has now become a modern, yet vintage-style pub. As my colleagues and I sat down for lunch, my eyes immediately found the pinball machine, Skee-Ball and basketball hoop in the corner. I also noticed the Connect-Four and giant Jenga game outside on the patio – along with an enormous Adirondack chair fit for a giant. The interior reminded me of a 1970s living room: multicolored bulbs, bright yellow booths and eclectic tile on the ceiling and in the bar area. The patio has plenty of seating – two of the tables had swinging benches for chairs, which is where I would’ve been had it not been scorching outside at 11 a.m. If you’re looking for classic “bar- food” appetizers, The Porch has all the chicken wings, nachos and fried pickles to keep you satisfied until football season is back on TV. My crew decided on the salted pretzel with fondue. I think we were all wishing we had been at a baseball game after our first bite – chewy, just enough salt so that our taste buds didn’t burn off and a rich, creamy beer cheese for dipping. Our server stated the most popular dish was the grilled cheese with short rib. She said it’s “the unicorn of the menu,” which we took to mean magical and something you don’t see every day – and we were right. With smoky cheddar and American cheese, zesty house-made barbecue sauce and crisp dill pickles, each crunch of the toast mixed with the melty cheese was…bewitching. We ordered two because no one wanted to share. For the sides: parmesan truffle and thinly- sliced, lightly-peppered crinkle cut sweet potato fries. The table favored the sweet potato fries as we all thought the full-punch flavor of parmesan and truffle sauce was in need of a “tell me when” scenario. We ordered blackened shrimp tacos, heaped with cabbage, pickled red onion (which gave it a subtle kick), radish and cilantro queso fresca. I might be biased because I love seafood, but the smoky shrimp was the best part – it felt like the cabbage and onion slaw was trying to steal the show. I was relieved when my table ordered the Porch Protein Plate – I have a problem when it comes to ordering the healthy stuff in that… I don’t order it. Grilled chicken, couscous, avocado, tomatoes and asparagus with a Greek yogurt sauce – I was surprised that the tenderness of the couscous, the crunch THE PORCH 4017 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix • porcharcadia.com Apple Pie Dip Blackened Shrimp Tacos Porch Protein Grilled Cheese with Short Rib Salted Pretzel and Fondue PLACES WE LIKE of the veggies and the creaminess of the sauce came together so well that I actually didn’t mind trying it. Plus, there’s always dessert, which came in the form of an apple pie dip. Served in a cast-iron dish, the deconstructed apple pie is diced into bite-size pieces and then covered with a massive scoop of vanilla ice cream and served with cinnamon dusted pie crust chips on the side. The Porch also offers salads, burgers, brunch and a kid’s menu, plus happy hour food and cocktail specials from 3 – 6:15 p.m. Monday – Friday. They also have a huge nighttime following, especially when the weather calls for more hanging out on The Porch!