Tri-Cities teams doing their part to help others
There are three reasons Geneva boys basketball coach Phil Ralston had his players devote a half-hour of practice time on Dec. 1 strictly to shooting free throws.
First off, what coach doesn't want his team working to make a higher percentage from the line?
Free throws, after all, were a big key to the Vikings' 46-29 win over Streamwood just this past Wednesday, accounting for half Geneva's points.
Mainly, though, Ralston was thinking of Geneva girls basketball coach Gina Nolan and his own mother, Cathy.
Nolan, the Vikings' seven-year head varsity girls coach, concluded her last chemotherapy treatment to stem breast cancer before Thanksgiving. Ralston's mother has been in remission from ovarian cancer the past two years.
So the Geneva boys throughout the program, as well as the girls, shot free throws in conjunction with the Charity Stripe initiative, based out of Northbrook, to raise funds for those facing hardship due to factors including debilitating illness or military service hence the subtitles, Free Throws for the Fight and Free Throws for Heroes.
“That really hit home for me when I found out about this organization,” said Ralston, who is on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association board of directors, a big proponent of an effort that in two years has raised more than $180,000.
Geneva was one of 30 Illinois schools participating Dec. 1, a group which includes Kaneland and Geneva's victim on the court Wednesday, Streamwood. A second Charity Stripe day will be Jan. 19, 2011. Last year, 132 Illinois teams and others in Arkansas and South Dakota participated.
“With due respect to Gina, I thought it'd be especially appropriate for us to try to support her,” Ralston said. “For us, it's a way to try to give back to others that are battling cancer.”
He believed between 85-90 Geneva basketball players shot 50 free throws apiece on Dec. 1, with pledge money going to the cause.
“We weren't asking the kids to move mountains,” he said. “We felt collectively as a boys and girls program that we could raise a good amount of money as a school.”
Last year's total was $800, and though this year's totals hadn't been fully tabulated Ralston was confident this year's take would be even more generous.
Funds raised are a great step in itself. Instilling philanthropic thought can also be seen as money in the bank.
“It really is a good thing for us to try to give back as much as we can to others in need,” Ralston said. “I think that's the true value that we can be teaching kids.
“At the end of the day, wins and losses are great. But true wins are when you can give back to others that are in need.”
Speaking of which
Certainly not as dire a topic as that listed above, Geneva's $250,000 grant effort to “Rebuild Burgess Field” was accepted by the Pepsi Refresh Project. It is currently available to vote on through the last day of December.
Among the 1,095 applicants for this month's $250,000 grants in the category of Education, as of this writing Burgess Field ranks No. 51. The top two ideas in each of the grant categories are the winners. Pepsi Refresh awards $1,300,000 in grants monthly.
Voting may be done in a variety of ways, but a good place to start is the website, refresheverything.com.
Good luck, Friends of Burgess Field!
Pigskin paycheck
Following up a prior story, in November Marmion freshman football player Brock Krueger presented a $4,000 check to Geneva's LivingWell Cancer Resource Center. The donation came from a monthlong fundraiser Krueger initiated in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Krueger's grandmother, Cynthia Carroll, died of breast cancer before he was born.
The freshman approached Marmion head varsity football coach Dan Thorpe with the idea, which was heartily accepted by the football program. Sales of pink T-shirts and wristbands, and silent auctions and raffles raised the bounty in support of breast cancer survivors. The Class 6A state runner-up Cadets wore pink wrist bands, pink socks and the pink ribbon decal on their helmets throughout October to help raise awareness.
“I am already thinking about how to improve the fundraiser for next year and want to set a goal to make even more money,” Krueger was quoted as saying in a release to the Daily Herald. “I hope this fundraiser becomes a Marmion tradition and continues to support breast cancer long after I graduate.”
The nominees are...
St. Charles East and the St. Charles Booster Club are accepting nominations for the Jodie Harrison Lifetime Achievement Award until Dec. 23. A select four individuals will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during halftime of the Jan. 22 boys varsity basketball game between St. Charles East-St. Charles North.
People making nominations should thoroughly list credentials and complete contact information. For details, contact St. Charles East athletic director Jerry Krieg at (630) 377-4774.