St. Charles Drill Teams' 20th Annual Kick-A-Thon Kick-Off

Posted June 23, 2013 11:00 pm

Lori Beaulieu

The St. Charles North and St. Charles East Drill Teams united on Friday, June 21, 2013 at their annual Kick-A-Thon Kick-off Event held in conjunction with Relay For Life. Due to the weather, the venue was moved from the Fifth Third Ballpark to the St. Charles East Main Commons, where members of the community spoke about the importance of the Kick-A-Thon.

The Kick-A-Thon is an annual event at which the drill teams raise money in order to put an end to cancer. Each drill team member is paired up with a member of the St. Charles community, and together they raise money for the American Cancer Society and the LivingWell Cancer Resource Center. On the night of the Kick-A-Thon, the drill team members and the community representatives form a kick line and do 100 kicks to “kick cancer”. In the past nineteen years, the drill teams have been able to donate over $678,029 to the American Cancer Society and Living Well Center in Geneva through this fundraiser. The Kick-Off event helps to inspire the drill teams and their families.

This year's speakers included Diana Artman, Kick-A-Thon Co-Chair, Charlie Kyle, St. Charles East Principal and 13 year kicker, Ray Rogina, Mayor of St. Charles, Kari Batka, Director of Kick-A-Thon Advisory Board, Lori Drumtra, head Drill Team coaches Nancy Prentiss, St. Charles North and Hanna Byington, St. Charles East Drill Teams and alumni Nora Byington, and Nicole Drews. Each of these speakers have been personally affected by cancer and shared their stories of hope made possible through the funds raised by Kick-A-Thon.

Checks were presented to Keri Nelson, Regional Director of Income Development at the American Cancer Society, as well as Nancy Vance, Executive Director of LivingWell Cancer Resource Center. Each accepted a check for over $40,000.00.

While the St. Charles Drill Teams are proud of their $80,000 donation, they hope to raise even more this year at the 20th Annual Kick-A-Thon. Join the drill teams on Friday, September 13th, at the St. Charles East Stadium between the sophomore and varsity football games to support the community and help in the fight against cancer. For more information or to donate, please go to www.kick-a-thon.org

Article Comments

Article Categories
Communities Geneva South Elgin St. Charles Submitted Content Wayne

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.