The girls’ basketball team sponsored a fundraiser for the Brian Morden Foundation at one of their games. The game was held Friday Jan. 13. The basketball team as well as the student council joined together to sell shirts and work at the event.

“I think the event went well – our role as student council was to support the girls’ basketball team in supporting the BMF program,” student council adviser Kim Shope said. “We had many students and faculty purchase t-shirts, and we had three plus student council members work at the game selling BMF items, raffle tickets, etc. It’s good for our club to maintain a connection with such an important group in our community because their work affects all of us.”

The Brian Morden Foundation was created to honor 19- year-old Brian Morden who battled Ewing’s Sarcoma for more than two years. Many organizations honor Morden by raising money and then donating to the cause. Morden’s mother was a district employee and Morden was a student.

“I was given the opportunity to sell Shoot for a Cure shirts by Brian Morden Foundation member Julie Good who was a former teacher at AASD,” Coach Amy Palfey said. “Our basketball team wanted to do something to help raise awareness for childhood cancer, and the BMF has a close relationship with AASD because the founder, Dawn Morden, was a teacher here.”

The game not only was a fundraiser but a rivalry game against State College. 

“It was a huge success! We sold ‘Shoot for a Cure’ t-shirts at the high school prior to the event, so the players, coaches, cheerleaders and Lioneers wore them at the game. The pep band was there to cheer on the team and the crowd. There were raffle baskets, 50/50 tickets and chances to win Chick-fil-A gift cards. Most importantly, the girls pulled off a huge win against State College,” Good said.

Good became president of the Brian Morden Foundation following the death of founder and president Dawn Morden.

“Absolutely, we would be happy to do it again,” Good said. “A special thanks to Coaches Fleegle and Palfey who were instrumental in setting it up. Also, thank you to Mr. Riccio and Mr. Neely for allowing us to use the venue. Lastly, we couldn’t have done it without the help of Mrs. Shope and Mrs. Schmoke. It was a total team effort.”

All moneys donated to the Brian Morden Foundation go to local children battling cancer, to scholarships for students furthering their educations after high school or to fund childhood cancer research.

“We raised almost $1000 from t-shirt sales and raffle tickets at the game,” Good said. “That money is going directly to the families of local children who are currently in treatment to help support their travel costs and time away from work.”