Teams from all over Eastern Massachusetts will arrive on the Island Saturday for a basketball tournament hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Boys and Girls Club. But competition will come second to community as organizers aim to create unity among kids with different backgrounds.

“It’s not just about basketball,” Boys and Girls Club athletic director Michael Daniel told the Gazette by phone this week. “It’s community outreach, too.”

The tournament, featuring sixth through 10th graders, will be held Saturday, August 27 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Niantic Park in Oak Bluffs. It is called the Boys and Girls Jamboree and acts as a successor to Mr. Daniel’s Boat to Basket Showcase held in previous years.

Mr. Daniel said it will marry athletics and education, and include talks with law enforcement, firefighters and other community leaders between games. A major focus of the day, he added, will be opioid education and autism awareness.

“Basketball seems to bring the kids together,” Mr. Daniel said. “Then you can start talking about other things.”

Fifteen teams with players from New Bedford, Providence, Boston and the Vineyard have signed up for the tournament. He expects 100 to 150 players to arrive on the Island. Chief among the goals of the tournament, Mr. Daniel said, is bringing the New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard communities together.

“We’re trying to build that bond back with New Bedford,” he said.

He said he hopes the two communities can begin to develop a deeper understanding of one another, and learn from community leaders along the way.

“We’re so close together,” he said. “A lot of the kids from New Bedford just know the city part, not the Island.”

Mr. Daniel said organizing the tournament reminded him of community events from his childhood, playing basketball with older kids and mentors. He said he hopes the Boys and Girls Club can attract older teens who will eventually become role models for younger kids.

“I love it,” he said. “These are things I had growing up.”

Mr. Daniel said he aims to build a culture around community events with the Boys and Girls Club, and hopes to see the organization grow larger and more impactful over time.

“It can only get bigger and better,” he said. “I’m counting on it building and building,” he said.