The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

It isn't about the sport. It's about supporting the kids, friends, and community. There was a fundraiser/dinner- a Divisional Tournament Pep Rally with a Spaghetti Dinner, a 3-Point shoot, a pop shot, and Little Pioneer Basketball games on Tuesday, the 20th. On February 29th, there will be a Dodgeball Tournament at 7:30 pm following the junior high Wrestling.

If you had attended the Pep Rally, it would have been obvious to see our support for each other. Ella Jurenka told me they fed 150 people and raised about $4,000. I walked around the gym talking to the kids. A 6th-grade boy said, "It's just fun to shoot the ball and dribble. It is fun." His brother is his hero. His mom said, "What's good about this is the community supporting each other. The younger kids come in and help and support what the older kids are doing, and older kids, the teens, are teaching and helping the other younger kids."

Another said, "It's great to celebrate their success and then just show them our support as they prepare to go on.

Another sixth grader who plays basketball said, "Yeah, I am good at basketball. I can make some points."

Another younger student said, "I love hitting 3-point shots."

A teacher said, "These are my kids, and I support them. It's about supporting the kids. It's not about winning or anything like that."

"This brings our community together and allows everybody to rub shoulders, have dinner, and watch the kids. It's just a fun day. It is great. Yeah,

"It's good for the kids. This lets the kids see people they usually don't see consistently. These people get to come in and see who these kids really are at a different level from what they do on the sports field. So it's less stressful. It's more than just fun. It's a fun way to support boys' and girls' basketball programs.

As I walked over to the grade school kids lined up to pay each other, they waved at me and smiled. "You are the newspaper." I laughed and said yes. They were excited I was going to interview them. It was so much fun to watch them play against each other. "Playing this game is fun. Passing and passing and passing. And shooting, making baskets." Watching the younger ball players smiling and laughing while they played was so much fun.

"It's nice to get everybody together. Because everybody in the community is here, having a nice fun night, raising some funds for the basketball teams, and then we're going to send the girls off, hoping they'll take care of business."

Ella Jurenka said, "There are so many I need to thank for making it a special night for our girls, the little pioneers, and our community. It was a whirlwind to plan in one day, but everyone came together, and it was a great turnout. The boy's team and their parents put together an amazing meal, and so many generously donated silent auction items and pledged money to the kids and their challenges. I am thankful for our little pioneers and their families for being there. That is our future, and it sure looks bright!"

"We are the Pioneers" who go before to prepare or open the way for others to follow, and I am so proud to see us living up to our name."

You can attend the next community support effort if you didn't attend the first community celebration. This time, it's about supporting the young wrestlers coming up. What a fun new event-a Dodgeball tournament to watch or participate in. It costs $10 for a single entry or $50 for a team. The first-place team prize is $120; the second-place team prize is $60. There are six players on a team. There will be an Elementary Age Division grades k-4th. A Junior High Division for grades 5-8, a High School and Adult Division mixes teams and family teams. It's a double-elimination tournament. Registration will be onsite at the Big Sandy School Gym. Support the Junior high and High school Wrestling programs.

There is also a Big Sandy Wrestling Raffle fundraiser on March 1st at the Big Sandy Wrestling meet. The drawing will be for $1,000, a half of a beef. It is only $20 a ticket.