Kelly Logie stepped to the line.

The dull thud of one, two, three dribbles echoed throughout the empty Samantha Smith Elementary gymnasium. She cocked the ball back with her right hand, released, followed through with text-book precision and swish — nothing but net.

The routine is one the 13-year-old Inglewood Junior High student has gone through thousands upon thousands of times. Sometimes she practices it behind the makeshift tape free-throw line in driveway of her family’s Sammamish home, sometimes she’s playing with her Eastlake Select eighth grade basketball team, and sometimes she’s competing in various free-throw events around the state.

“I just like to shoot them,” Kelly said, of free throws. “I enjoy shooting.”

Kelly has participated in the Elks National Free Throw Hoop Shoot since she was 8. She won the state competition when she was 10 and 11 and finished ninth in the nation three years ago.

On Jan. 7, Kelly toed the line for a different reason — to support Seattle Children’s Hospital. In the span of an hour, she hoisted up 300 free throws, hitting an impressive 280. Each made shot netted money for the uncompensated care program at Children’s Hospital. In all, Kelly raised $1,131 in funds — money pledged primarily from friends and family.

Her idea was spawned from a leadership class at Inglewood.

“One of the requirements for my class is that we had to complete a semester project,” Kelly said. “It was just any way to help the community. I chose to have a fundraiser and just shoot free throws because I play basketball.”

Kelly took the idea and ran with it, opting to raise money for something that directly impacted her family. When her older brother Matt was born premature, her mom, Jill, was forced to use Children’s Hospital uncompensated care program.

“He’s the reason that she had this fundraiser,” Jill said. “He was in Children’s for over three weeks and they treated us very well and she wanted to give back.

I’m really proud of her because she’s used her talent to help other people and I think it’s made her feel really good.”

Matt, now 28, grew up healthy and is currently working as an assistant basketball coach for Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. He is one of the reasons Kelly got interested in basketball.

“My older brother was a good free throw shooter as well,” she said.

The basketball genes run even deeper for Kelly. Her grandpa is Ed Pepple, the famed Mercer Island boys basketball coach. Now in his 42nd year of coaching, Pepple has a state-best 943 wins, and is still going strong at age 76.

“We have a close relationship,” Kelly said. “He’s taught me many things about

basketball. Just how to play the game and just how to handle the game.”

Kelly, who once hit a personal best 91 straight free throws, knocked down her 280 shots on a Wednesday afternoon at her former elementary school, Samantha Smith. She took shots in sets of 30 with small breaks in between and her mom rebounding by her side. Former P.E. teachers, including Marilyn McDougall, occasionally poked their heads in to see how she was doing.

“It’s just really fun to watch her grow,” McDougall said. “I’m not really surprised at all with this project that she did because that just sounds like something Kelly would think of doing.

I’ve watched her since kindergarten and it’s just been amazing. Not only is she an amazing free throw shooter, but a terrific student and great all-around person, so that’s the most important thing.”

•Kelly Logie started her fifth and final Elks National Hoop Shoot competition last weekend, advancing through the local portion of the contest. The event, which has an estimated 3 million children between the ages of 8-13 take part every year, also features district, state, regional and national levels. The national competition will take place in Springfield, Mass., in March.

“The winner gets their name on a plaque in the Basketball Hall of Fame,” Jill said. “That’s been her goal.”