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| 11/12/2009 1:05:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Leesburg and Harrison elementary schools are coming together Friday for the fourth annual Food-A-Thon basketball game between the two schools. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at Lakeview Middle School, with tipoff at 6 p.m. Admission is two cans of food, but with every two additional cans of food donated, a person can get another ticket for a chance to win one of the more than 70 door prizes donated by local businesses. Pictured (L to R) are Harrison Principal Randy Polston and Leesburg Principal Randy Dahms, standing in front of the more than 4,000 items of non-perishable food items Harrison students have collected for Combined Community Services. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union |
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Hoops Game Seeks To Stock CCS Food Pantry
David Slone
Times-Union Staff Writer
Holidays are fast approaching, and the food pantry at Combined Community Services is in need of being stocked.
The fourth annual Food-A-Thon basketball game between the faculty and staff of Leesburg and Harrison elementary schools Friday will help replenish CCS's food pantry.
Beside the basketball game, there will be drawings for more than 70 door prizes and Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders will be on hand.
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Held at Lakeview Middle School for the second year, doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with tipoff at 6 p.m. Admission is two cans of food, but with every two cans of food a person donates, they get another ticket for a chance at the door prizes
Two Colts cheerleaders will be there from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. A person can get their picture taken with them for a $5 donation, which also will go to CCS. The cheerleaders' appearance is being sponsored by Farmers State Bank.
Harrison Elementary Principal Randy Polston said the annual basketball game between the two schools started four years ago. Polston's son, Nate, teaches at Leesburg Elementary. Knowing there used to be staff basketball games, Nate approached Randy about having a basketball game to raise money.
The first year, a basketball game was held at Leesburg to raise money for the basketball team. The event was coordinated by Nate, Jason Roller and Leesburg Principal Randy Dahms.
The following year, it was Harrison's turn to host the event. Randy Polston knew the Food-A-Thon was held in November. He thought the basketball game could be held to support the Food-A-Thon, and he contacted Patrick Brown at WRSW and Peggi Lisenbee-Wright at CCS.
"Everyone jumped on board," Polston said. "They thought it was a fantastic idea."
To get more people to the event, he said, they were able to get area businesses to donate door prizes. The big prize that year was tickets to see "Hannah Montana" in concert.
"We packed Harrison's gym. We couldn't get another person in that gym," Polston said.
Last year, it was Leesburg's turn to host the event again. To fit more people in, the event was moved to Lakeview Middle School. Dahms said they felt the LMS gym was a great venue for it.
"Lakeview Middle School was gracious to have us. We felt it was a good venue for us. We kept the event going to where we're raising more and more food," said Dahms.
He said he's always trying to top what Polston does when Harrison hosts the event. Last year they were able to get the Colts cheerleaders.
This year, more than 70 businesses donated prizes.
"It's just amazing how the community is helping support this," said Dahms.
Door prizes range from gift cards and certificates to Wagon Wheel Theatre and concert tickets. WNDU 16 is offering two door prizes. One is a WNDU prize basket, and another is lunch with WNDU anchors Tricia Sloma, Maureen McFadden, Nick McGurk, Gordy Young, Brandon Lewis and Elaina Greenfogel.
Polston said Wildman Cleaning donated the shirts for the players for the event.
"We can't do this without the community support," said Polston.
A big supporter is Farmers State Bank and their sponsorship of the Colts cheerleaders.
Tiffany Smith, marketing director for Farmers State Bank, said, "One of our biggest goals is funding our local economy and supporting this community."
She said FSB recognizes how much the event supports the community and they wanted to support the Food-A-Thon.
"We're local all the way," she said. "Our biggest goal is supporting the community and local schools, and we wanted to support them as much as we could."
Farmers State Bank was established in Mentone in 1892. The bank expanded to Warsaw in 1978 with the opening of the Northgate Branch. The East Center Street Branch followed in 1984, and the Leesburg Branch opened in 1989. In 1995, a branch opened in the Wawasee Village in Syracuse.
The bank will have a display booth set up at the event. At the booth, Blossers will be giving away coupons Friday to develop your Colts pictures for free. Blossers also is providing the backdrop for the photos with the Colts cheerleaders. Jeff Nycz, www.midsouthimages.com, will be taking pictures. Nycz also is donating his lighting for the Colts pictures.
WRSW and Willie 103.5 are helping to promote Friday's event. Jay Michaels will emcee for the night. For door prizes, the radio stations are offering tickets to TobyMac, Trace Adkins and Martina McBride.
Polston and Dahms are excited about Friday's event.
"It's gotten to be a huge, exciting event that puts a smile on your face," said Polston.
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