The Nashua Lodge of Elks will be hosting the 40th Greater Nashua Elks Hoop Shoot free throw contest on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 8 a.m. in the Elm Street Middle School Gymnasium on Chestnut Street.

There is no charge or fees to participate in the Elks Hoop Shoot program, which is open to all interested boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 13 from Greater Nashua (Nashua, Hudson, Litchfield, Hollis, Brookline, Amherst, Milford, Wilton and Merrimack). A youngster’s age on April 1, 2012 determines his/her age division.

There will be six age divisions, three for boys and three for girls (8-9, 10-11, 12-13) and trophies will be presented to the top three boys and girls in each division.

Contestants will shoot five warm-ups, before shooting 25 free throws for score. They must wear basketball or tennis shoes to compete. T-shirts, slacks or pants may be worn, while basketball uniforms are preferred but not necessary. As each age category is completed, contestants may leave. The entire contest usually lasts about two hours, enabling anyone to make any scheduled league games elsewhere.

Over three million youngsters competed in last year’s Elks National Hoop Shoot free throw contest, starting with the Local level, then moving on to District, State, Regional and National levels. Winners will have their names inscribed in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

The Nashua Elks have sent 10 youngsters to the Elks National Hoop Shoot finals – Steven Piwowoski, Melissa Ayotte, Debra Killmon, Ellen Tipping, Ryan Robinson, Ryan Sullivan, Michael Panagoulias, Caleb Donnelly, Max Coleman and Tom O’Hearn. In 2006, Donnelly was the first Greater Nashua champion to win the Elks National Hoop Shoot Championship.

Elks Youth Chairman Al Savage (888-0064) is in charge of the local contest. Local winners will compete in the Elks Southern New Hampshire District Free Throw contest in Nashua on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012.