Nice piece by Andrew O'Connor and the Times Argus
http://www.timesargus.com/article/20150411/NEWS01/704119945
"BARRE — Capt. Richard Phillips will again join a basketball fundraiser to support
a faith-based mentoring program in local schools.
Senior Hurrah will feature a game between a team of all-stars and local high
school seniors at the Spaulding High School gym on Thursday.
Phillips, the merchant mariner who was captain of the MV Maersk Alabama
during a hijacking by Somali pirates in April 2009, and Jeff Fuller, area director
of the Central Vermont Life Bridge program, connected through playing pickup
basketball. Fuller said he didn’t learn of Phillips’ celebrity until he saw a
newspaper article about his experience as a hostage. “It was a year and a half
before I found out who he was,” Fuller said.
Phillips, who lives in Underhill, joined the event last year.
A collection of Vermont talent will make up the all-star team. David Ball, gym
teacher and football coach at Spaulding, will again be competing in the fun. In
past games, “there have been some great teammates in this. It’s been
awesome,” he said.
Faces familiar to Frost Heaves fans — Issa Konare, Erik Nelson, Kerry Lyons, BJ
Robertson and Bobby Shedd — will appear in the game alongside the University
of Vermont’s Luke Apfeld and Jaren Jeffcoat from Norwich University.
Oh, and watch out for Shedd. “He’s a rimrocker,” Ball said.
Rounding out the roster are high school alumni Bryan Hickey and Evan Tullar
from Spaulding, Chad Copeland from Twinfield and Pavin Parrish from
Rochester. All have gone on to play at colleges around the state.
Brian Gallagher, general manager of the Vermont Mountaineers, will coach the
all-stars with assistance from former Frost Heaves member Markus Austin.
The senior squad includes students from Spaulding, Websterville Baptist
Christian School and Williamstown High School. For them, it’s a fun, exciting
opportunity to play against local talent. They get “amped up to play in this
game,” Ball said. But the students also realize what the fundraiser is all about. “That’s part of
mentoring,” Fuller said, “to teach kids, and even the seniors, the importance of
giving back.”
Mentoring is a pivotal part of the community. Tom Sedore, Spaulding High
School principal, traced the concept back to Greek mythology where Mentor was
Odysseus’ teacher.
“Mentoring is rooted in someone with experience helping another along” in
challenging experiences, Sedore said.
Ball agreed, saying, “It’s something that should be explored by students.” He
can attest because he has had mentors throughout his schooling and career, he
said.
Every kid needs a mentor, Fuller said. “Too often people identify high-risk kids
without realizing all kids are at risk. That’s part of adolescence,” he said.
Collaboration among Life Bridge, the schools and the community is essential for
educating kids and preparing them for the adult world. What it comes down to is
“everybody working together to help the student,” Fuller said.
Life Bridge, which started in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, in 2004, came to
central Vermont when local pastors asked school officials how the church could
help. The school’s response: Provide mentors.
Life Bridge has expanded to other area schools, including Barre Technical
Center, Granite Academy, Williamstown Elementary, Washington Village and
Orange Center. The schools are extremely cooperative, Fuller said.
The mentors come from local churches. Through the program they can live out
their faith in a practical way, Fuller said. They do so by devoting 90 minutes a
week to the kids, with the goal of “building mentoring relationships into trusted
friendships,” he said.
Unfortunately, “a lot of people don’t know about (Life Bridge),” Ball said.
Thus, Senior Hurrah helps raise both money and awareness. The first annual
event brought in $4,000 for the program, with the second tallying $6,000.
Local businesses like Thygesen Sports and R&L Archery provide ads and
sponsorships in support of the event. They give because they understand the
cause and know the end result is positive, Fuller said.
At the game, Life Bridge will also announce some changes to the program. A
new name, Journey, will accompany a transition from working as part of Life
Bridge to joining Connecting Hope, a nonprofit organization in central Vermont. The mentoring will remain the same, Fuller said. The new name implies the importance of walking together in community. Tipoff for the game is at 6:30 p.m., and doors open at 5:45 p.m. Admission is
$10 for adults, $5 for students, and $25 for a family pass. Spectators may win
prizes and giveaways, such as tickets to Mountaineers games.
No comments:
Post a Comment