What is the measure of a true champion? Some people say that it is all about winning, others say it’s about competing to the best of your abilities. While both of those points are accurate, one aspect of being a champion, arguably the most important, gets overlooked. A true champion, and for that matter a championship culture, gives back to their community. Sports are a wonderful and powerful way to bring communities together. Every student athlete is supported by friends, family, and their community week in and week out. Come rain or shine, those community members come to show their support.
Community giving usually gets overlooked. So today, we will be celebrating schools who shared awesome photos and articles about the different ways they gave back to their communities in the past year. Here are a few schools we found who displayed this quality:
In March, the Eagles boy’s Varsity basketball team went to Grand Rapids Christian Elementary to read to students. As a young kid, nothing is more exciting than getting to hang out with “larger than life” high school athletes. Those boys on the basketball team are huge role models for these young kids. Not only are they promoting sports to the kids, but also the importance of reading and getting an education. Great job, Eagles!
This past December, the Erie Tigers girl’s Varsity basketball team collected slightly worn coats and sweaters. They donated the collection to two charities that help the less fortunate start becoming more self-sufficient and keep warm during the cold Colorado winter. They then used the coats as tickets, so every person that donated received a free admittance to the game. Great idea and great job ladies, keep it up!
Here is a link to their awesome flyer they created for the donation. Erie High School Girls Basketball (1)
Recently, the Ann Arbor Huron River Rats athletics held the Unified Games. Their high school athletes and other community volunteers met at the high school, middle school, and elementary school to host these games. The Unified Games are designed to help mentally handicapped and disabled members of the community compete in various sports and have a blast while doing it. This is a special event that is filled with joy, and a lot of hugs. These student athletes brought so much joy into their community for people who don’t always get to partake in sporting events. Thank you for sharing River Rats, and great work!
A few months ago, the Meridian Warrior track team wanted to give back to their community. They decided to start a fundraiser to support reading efforts at Meridian elementary school. Their plan was to sell “Kids Helping Kids” cards to the members of their community. The money they raised would be used to give kids free reading material for an entire year. Each card was to be sold at $20 which is the cost of covering one child for an entire year. In total, the Warrior track team sold 42 cards! Now, thanks to them, 42 kids of the Meridian elementary school will have access to free reading material for the next year! Way to go Warriors!
Here is another great story about high school athletes giving back to kid’s education within their community. Recently, members from the Hornets girl’s softball, boy’s basketball, and girl’s tennis team all participated in a program they call “Week of Young Child”. The program was for these athletes to read and have fun with kindergarten and first grade students. It is always great for the young kids to interact with the high school athletes, but giving back can be just as rewarding for the athletes. Kenny Washington, a boy’s basketball player at Beech Grove said, “My experience was a very enjoyable one. It surprised me how excited the kids were to have us there. It made me feel good that they actually look up to us and enjoy having us there!” Very cool article Hornets, good work!
A few months ago, the Bartlett Panthers started marketing for their annual “Running of the Rams” event. The Running of the Rams is a 5k race in order to raise funding for the Fine Arts and Physical Education programs at Oak Elementary school. After paying a fee, participants will enjoy a spot in the race, live music, food, and different awards. This is a fun way to bring the community closer and raise money for a great cause. Great idea Panthers and we hope the turnout was exceptional!
Here is a link to the article which contains their great flyer as well as the race loop map. http://wearebartlett.com/2016/04/28/3rd-annual-running-of-the-rams/
At the beginning of this year the members of Flatbrush Falcons boy’s basketball team went to OHEL Bais Ezra to visit adults with disabilities. This home is designed to cater to the needs and desires for adults with disabilities in their community. The boys went there with welcoming arms to bring enjoyment and entertainment to these adults. Not only did they bring delightful conversation and great attitudes, which is all you can ask for, they also brought gifts. Many members of the OHEL Bais Ezra home are interested in music, so the boys brought with them various musical instruments including some bongos and a guitar. The music brought them all together as members of the basketball team and OHEL Bais Ezra sat down and played music together. Looks like everyone had a great time and benefited from the event. Way to go boys!
We love to hear about these wonderful stories that bring communities closer. Congrats to these seven schools and keep up the good work! If you have any other great stories like these feel free to send them our way, we would love to hear them.