The basketball players are making a list, checking it twice, and playing Santa for families in need.
On Dec. 6 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, members of the JV and varsity women’s basketball team raised money for families in need by shooting foul shots through the Shooting Santa Foundation. To raise money, the players must ask people to donate to their cause.
According to the women’s varsity basketball head coach Mike Blizzard, the team’s monetary goal for this year was $10,000. The team will then go to Target to buy toys and other items on the wish lists of the 15 families they sponsor. They personally deliver the items to the families’ homes. The Shooting Santa event has been going on for ten years.
Each player is required to meet a $400 goal to evenly divide up the $10,000 team goal. So far, at least five people on the JV and
varsity combined have met this goal. The actual amount of money raised this year cannot be calculated because some members are still collecting donations.
“Our motto is ‘no kid should wake up Christmas morning and think Santa forgot about them,’” Blizzard said.
According to Blizzard, it is the hope of this Shooting Santa Foundation to see members of the team go on to continue setting up similar programs later in their lives. It is hoped that after experiencing the personal delivery of the items to families in need, the players will aid their neighbors in need.
“Delivering gifts is definitely the best part of it all,” senior Talia Kahoe said.
“I like going shopping for them because I like trying to think of what other people would like, and giving clothes and toys is more personal than giving money,” senior and captain Maria Edwards said.
Donors can either pledge a certain amount for every foul shot their sponsored basketball player makes, or pledge a flat donation.
Players attempt to make as many foul shots as they can out of 50, and if someone has committed a certain amount per shot, the total will reflect how many shots the player makes. For example, if a donor commits fifty cents per shot, and the player makes 40 out of their 50 shots, the donor will give them $20.
This year, Perryville High School, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Jayhawks team coached by assistant coach Craig Simmons, and Northeast are other teams who participated with JC in the Shooting Santa Foundation’s mission.
Grace Kim is the Online Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.