M.C. Knoll School held the first annual Telemiracle Shoot-a-thon recently. The event featured the members of both M.C. Knoll Knights boys' and girls' basketball teams as well as girls' coach Benson McDowell and boys' team coach Mark Schendel shooting baskets over the noon hour from 12 noon to one p.m.
Event coordinator Schendel explains each player is allowed 10 shots from the free throw line. Each shot that is made into the basket, will raise funds for the Kinsmen Telemiracle 35 to be held March 5 and 6. With 47 shooters, the young athletes will attempt 470 shots over the noon hour.
Schendel estimates a talented Grade 7 or 8 basketball player will make about 50 per cent of his or her shots. Ultimately he hopes the players will make anywhere from 150 to 200 free throws to raise a lot of money and awareness for Telemiracle.
Sports offer a lot of life lessons, Schendel suggests. M.C. Knoll School uses basketball as a vehicle to create the importance and awareness about raising money and being charitable. "We have a lot of kids who maybe don't know how lucky we are and doing an event like this will make them realize there are people out there with disabilities. There are people out there who maybe don't have the finances to get the equipment that they need," he explains.
Altogether, the M.C. Knoll basketball teams raised a total of $712.60 which will be donated to Telemiracle 35 next month.
