Though Jeff, the new Hoop Shoot Regional Director of Region 12, originally knew little about the Hoop Shoot, it didn’t take long for him to become an all-star. After serving just two weeks as State Vice Chair of the Hoop Shoot Committee, he was promoted to State Director. Throughout this whirlwind, advice from a mainstay of the Hoop Shoot solidified the Rumlers’ love for the program.
“As I learned more about Hoop Shoot and attended a training session conducted by [then] Regional Director Lester Collins,” says Jeff, “I quickly realized it was a fantastic program that directly impacts the lives of kids throughout the country.”
Just like her husband, Cristin Rumler was also instantly enamored with the Hoop Shoot.
“It was exciting to meet the families and so many great people who volunteered with the program,” says Cristin. “I liked the opportunity to work with people outside of the Elks and be directly involved with the children and families the program was impacting.” This wasn’t the first time the Rumlers fell in love at first sight, though.
In 2011, Jeff drove a truck and trailer for the Florida Elks Association to the Elks National Convention in Phoenix. Cristin was there with a family member. When a mutual friend introduced them, it was a slam dunk.
“We learned that we joined the Elks in the same year, had lived only 45 minutes apart our whole lives, and went to many of the same Elk events, but never knew each other,” says Jeff. “It was love at first sight!”
In 2013, as Jeff served his second term as the Exalted Ruler of Sanford, Fla., Lodge No. 1241, he and Cristin attended another Convention. Just before they left for the formal Florida dinner, Jeff proposed to Cristin—two years to the day that they met.
More than 10 years later, the Rumlers have an 8-year-old daughter, are more involved with the Elks than ever, and have taken the reins of the Hoop Shoot’s Region 12.
“Cristin and I are ecstatic for this opportunity,” says Jeff. “The Region 12 team is made up of people from every state, and it is those people who continue to give of themselves to make the Southeast Regional an exceptional experience for 30 families each year.”
For the Rumlers, providing an exceptional experience to competitors and their families is more than an empty platitude: It’s one of their favorite aspects of the Hoop Shoot.
“I love the way this program rewards hard-working kids and dedicated families by making them feel on top of the world at every step along the way,” says Jeff. “From banners, signs, and cheering, to trolleys, travel, and high-fives everywhere they go, Hoop Shoot kids are treated like the champions they are. The program is well organized and not only provides meals and rooms, but emotionally provides support and that feel-good feeling that the kids know they earned for themselves and their families.”
Free participation and travel, champion-worthy treatment, and emotional support are all benefits of the Hoop Shoot, but to Cristin, the traits that the program develops in competitors are the most important.
“In a society that wants instant gratification and outside validation, I love that the Hoop Shoot teaches today’s youth to be proud of themselves, in general, but also for working hard at the program and being determined,” says Cristin. “When a child gets up to shoot free throws, they have no one else to rely on but themselves and the work that they put in. That is such an important trait throughout life.”
As they begin their new role, the Rumlers have already started to utilize technology to modernize Region 12.
“I believe that if we want young families to participate in Elk programs, we must communicate with them in the ways they are accustomed to,” says Jeff. “We are already working on branding Region 12 on multiple social media platforms, have started a new web page, and will implement some digital marketing both prior to and during the competition weekend.”
Jeff and Cristin have taken their practice shots and are ready to step up to the line. Their Elks love story has been 13 years in the making, but in this new role, they have yet another chance to fall in love at first sight.
The Elks have been unleashing gritty kids through the Hoop Shoot program for more than 50 years. For 2024-25, the Elks National Foundation allocated more than $1.5 million to fund the program. For videos, news from the court, and more information about the Hoop Shoot, visit elks.org/hoopshoot.