LAHAINA — Glenn Yama-saki doesn't mind working 12-hour days, selling $2 beverages and $10 game programs outside a gym where some of the nation's elite college basketball teams are competing.

Yamasaki has been pulling the duty the past five years at the EA Sports Maui Invitational, with a significant percentage of the profits benefiting the Boy Scouts of America-Maui County Council's Camp Maluhia.

"The tournament really does benefit a lot of nonprofit organizations," said Yamasaki, who sits on the Maui scout council board of directors. "A lot of volunteers are willing to submit their time, especially for the visitors. They get to experience the warmth, and it's a great opportunity for Maui to showcase itself to the nation."

Since 1984, the Invitational — played in the 2,400-seat Lahaina Civic Center during Thanksgiving week — has raised more than $100 million for the local economy during a usual lull in the travel season, according to the Maui Visitors Bureau.

The tournament — continuing today and tomorrow — requires a staff of more than 300, and the organizer, KemperSports, hires more than 80 percent of those workers locally.

In addition to the nonprofit organizations, local groups — from vendors to police officers to entrepreneurs — feed off the 4,000 fans, alumni and team personnel that fly to Maui.

"This is gravy really," said Michael Gavazza, 26, a chef at Hula's Grill in Ka'anapali. "Just money on top of money."

Gavazza, who was operating a stand at the Invitational, said the $7 sandwiches, salads and breakfast burritos are straight off the restaurant's menu.

Ricky Uedoi, a 13-year veteran of the Maui Police Department, has signed up for special duty security assignments at the Invitational for the past three years.

The extra money eases holiday stress, he said.

"Special duty assignments help us pay our mortgage," said Uedoi. "We want everybody to be safe. We do what we have to do to make sure everybody is safe, then we can enjoy the game."

Tim Filler and Daniel Adams, co-founders of FStop Productions, a statewide photo business, said the tournament has helped launch their careers. The pair founded the company 18 months ago, and were soon recruited to produce photo packages for visitors.

For $15, Miller and Adams photograph a visitor with a surfboard or Santa Claus, and produce a pair of 4-by-6-inch prints — in a snap.

"It's been great for us; it gets our name out there," Miller said.

NATIONAL EXPOSURE

The Maui Visitors Bureau can't get enough of the Invitational, which has a long-term agreement with ESPN to broadcast live a minimum of nine tournament games each year through 2011.

The agreement beams brief images of Maui's beaches, Haleakala, and the neighboring islands of Moloka'i and Lana'i to 10 million viewers each year.

Furthermore, with the exorbitant cost of shipping television equipment to Maui, ESPN rents as much of it as it can locally.

"Its annual impact on our local economy continues to be remarkable, and the lasting national exposure generated in just three days each November is invaluable," said Terryl Vencl, executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa agreed, but also said he wished there was a way to get more fans into the tournament.

Part of the Invitational's draw is the venue's intimacy, but that can cause a problem when popular teams are invited. This year's field included four teams in the USA Today/ESPN preseason top 10 and six former NCAA champions.

This year's sold-out event is the first in the tournament's history, organizers said.

"With the quality of the teams and the quality of the players we have this year, people want to show up," Arakawa said. "The Maui Invitational has been tremendous for us."

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.