WATERVILLE — After making a donation to the Taylor Tip-Off, a basketball tournament named after two sisters who lost their parents to domestic violence, people passed by a table covered in purple at the entrance to the Thomas College field house.

Most people looked at the big Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence banner, pausing for a moment before rushing off to watch student athletes in the games Sunday morning at the college’s two gymnasiums.

Although many of them didn’t take the pamphlets and papers, it was clear they were taking time to think about the impact of domestic violence, represented by the purple table spread, said Jon Heath, with the coalition.

“It’s uncomfortable for people to be faced with (domestic violence) … and that’s why events like this tournament are so important in making people aware that there are real families being affected by it,” he said.

The tournament was started three years ago by teammates and coaches of Kaylee and Kiana Taylor, sisters from Westbrook who lost their parents in a murder-suicide in April 2009.

Over the first two years, the tournament raised more than $23,000 for the sisters, who played for the ME Swish basketball team, which along with the Maine Athletic Club started the event.

This year, the sisters asked to have the donations start going instead toward a Taylor Memorial Fund, which will help other Maine children who lost their parents to domestic violence, said Mark Leclerc, the owner of the Maine Athletic Club.

Dozens of games were played at the college, as well as Falmouth middle and high schools, featuring boys and girls middle school and high school-aged teams from across the state.

The tournament’s fundraising goal this year was set at $20,000. Around noon at the college, Leclerc was confident that both sites combined could reach that mark, something he attributed to the example set by the Taylor sisters.

“People are making a lot of donations so far because they all know about these girls’ decision to help others,” he said.

As Leclerc tallied some of the early fundraising totals, two basketball players on his Spruce Mountain Phoenix team interrupted him to say their game was starting.

The coach asked the players what they knew about the tournament’s mission.

The team had been talking about the fundraising between games, asking their parents and fans to make donations, John McKenna told his coach.

“We’ve been talking about the families who lost their parents and how tough that is, and thinking about doing whatever we can to help,” said McKenna, 16, before rushing off to play another game.

Unlike traditional competitions, this tournament’s winners will be the teams that raise the most money, with the top fundraising teams getting T-shirts and sweatshirts, Leclerc said.

This was the first year the tournament was held at Thomas, with college students, coaches and athletes volunteering to referee and take on other tasks.

There has been a big spike this year in outreach and fundraising efforts in addition to the basketball tournament’s expansion, Heath said.

He said the added help was needed. But, unfortunately, it seems to have taken a series of fatal instances of domestic violence over the past year to raise awareness, Heath said, referring to incidents in Winslow, Dexter and several other communities.

In Winslow on June 6, Nathaniel Gordon, 32, shot his 30-year-old wife, Sarah, while their two children, ages 8 and 9, watched. On June 13 in Dexter, Steven Lake, 37, killed his estranged wife, Amy, 38, and their two children, 13-year-old Coty and 12-year-old Monica. Both Gordon and Lake committed suicide.

Heath said the domestic violence coalition provides services statewide, doing everything from helping victims to re-educating abusers to end the violent behavior.

He said people seeking help can call the 24-hour hotline at 1-866-834-HELP. For more information about the coalition, people can visit the coalition website www.mcedv.org or call 430-8334.

David Robinson — 861-9287

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