Your news: Hypothermia Tournament helps WINGS
Buffalo Grove High School’s Speech and Acting teams hosted their 10th annual “Hypothermia Tournament of Mittens” on Saturday, Jan. 8, with over 800 students and adults from 35 schools participating.
The unique name of the tournament, always held in January, is explained by head coach Tracey Repa, “For the most part of its 10 years there has been snow, but it is always a guarantee that it will be cold!”
According to Repa, the hosting of a home tournament is a daunting team challenge, and the Buffalo Grove students rise to the occasion each year. Planning and scheduling have become more streamlined over the years with an innovative program called Speechwire, which provides up-to-the minute communication between participating teams and the host school. Confirming the entries in advance as teams are arriving at the tournament makes for a smoother start for the day.
Innovation has always been a trademark of this team, and one of the captains in 2008, Katerina Rallis, and her mother thought of an opportunity to serve the community that tied into the tournament name. All competing schools were asked to help support struggling families in the Buffalo Grove community by donating much-needed winter items such as coats, scarves, boots, gloves, mittens, hats and snow pants. After much thought and research, it was decided that the items collected at the tournament should be given to Women in Need Growing Stronger (WINGS), an organization that aids abused and homeless women and children in the Northwest Suburbs.
“As an incentive to get teams to participate,” said Buffalo Grove High School assistant coach Beth Flanagan, “We created the Warmest Heart Award and the results have been truly astounding. The generosity and genuine goodwill of all of the schools, students, coaches and parents, who participate in our tournament is frankly staggering.”
The first year that the Warmest Heart Award was presented, Repa was overwhelmed by the generosity of Downers Grove South High School’s team, who entered Buffalo Grove High School with bag after bag of donations. The team’s charitable effort won it the first Warmest Heart Award. Last year, Harrisburg High School’s team, a small but benevolent team, won the second Warmest Heart Award.
“From donating 500 items in 2009 to 800 items and 50 hand-knit scarves from Streamwood High School last year, the true wealth of our community is exhibited through the warm and giving hearts of the people in it,” Repa added.
Although WINGS helps so many in dire situations, the organization itself is in need, suffering from lack of funding, a reduced staff and fewer volunteers than in the past. Buffalo Grove Speech, Acting, and Debate team members had the opportunity to volunteer for an afternoon at a WINGS facility located in the parsonage of a church, and it was an eye-opening experience for the students and their coaches. They learned that during the holiday season, WINGS is inundated with donations and simply does not have the manpower to organize the items effectively.
The Buffalo Grove coaching staff, comprised of Repa and her assistants, Flanagan, Mark Weiland, Debbie Ruzicka, Anthepe Anthimiades, Michelle Witter, Thomas Wagner, Nick Stockwell and Mary Esther Boyd, sees a direct connection to the development of the team.
“Our students are learning all season long the skills of becoming better communicators,” said Repa. “The start of the New Year is a perfect time to gently remind them of what they can accomplish that is not about winning a medal. To give back to a community is a wonderful way of realizing the possibilities they are now capable of for the future.”
Visit the WINGS website at www.wingsprogram.com to explore volunteer opportunities available.
Ÿ Send Your news to nbrcalendar@dailyherald.com.