A youth football doubleheader Saturday night at Rhea Stadium will give healthy kids a chance to play football while raising awareness and funds for children fighting cancer and their families.
“Join Impact Sports as we kick kids' cancer,” urges Impact Ministries coach Toby Baptiste.. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Impact Ministries wants to bring awareness to our community. Honored heroes will be McKenna Smith, a local sixth grader currently battling cancer, and representatives of The Center for Courageous Kids, an Allen County-based camp for families with a child battling cancer.
There will be numerous ways to support this year’s heroes. Planners say half of tickets sales will be donated to the two causes. Fans can make pledges for a certain amount of money donated for each touchdown scored. Impact Ministries will match the total amount donated through the pledges. Pledges can be made at 270-847-6343 by those not attending the game. Information is also available on the Impact Ministries Facebook page at facebook.com/kingdomimpact.
Those attending are encouraged to bring a gas card/gift card to the game to put in the Hero Basket. Those cards will be used to help the Smith family in their travel expenses to and from treatments for her leukemia at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. It will be exactly a year on game day from the time the young Adairvillian learned she has the disease.
Lanterns can be purchase in honor of or in memory of any loved one who has battled cancer. The lanterns are $2 each. A Lantern Release will begin after the second game and planners hope to fill the night sky.
Kyleen Baptiste, executive director for Impact Ministries, has vast experience working in the pediatric field as a counselor for kids battling cancer and their families. Impact Ministries has a sports program where they mentor young people to become role models on and off the field. Dawn Henderson Smith is Impact Youth Sports Director.
The “Be Bold: Go Gold” theme comes from gold ribbons being used to increase awareness of Childhood Cancer, just like pink ribbons in October emphasize Breast Cancer. Kyleen Baptiste told Don Neagle on WRUS Thursday morning that only 4 percent of funds donated for cancer research go to childhood cancer.
At 5:30 Saturday, the new and very young Impact U9 team kicks off with a game against the Logan County Packers. The U-9 team is a very young team that consists of 2nd and 3rd graders. They are excited about the opportunity to play the game this Saturday.
The Packers have won three straight Pee Wee League games, according to Assistant Coach Adam Shrull. Team members are Peyton Thurston, Jordan Oberhausen, Jax Shrull, Colby Williams, Cole Ramsey, Cameron Matthews, Dawson Wilson, Cole Porter, Landon Womack, Kale Kimmon, Lyndon Hankins, Andrew Dowlen, Leyton Jenkins, Thomas Watkins and Jaxson Kenner. Greg Wilson is the head coach. Joining Shrull as assistant coaches are Robbie Matthews and Robert Oberhausen.
At 7:30 the Impact U10 team will kick off against the U11/12 Hopkins County Warriors. Last year the older Impact team went 14-2 and one of those losses came at the hand of Hopkins County with a score of 8-7. These Impact teams are made up of both Logan County and Russellville school kids.
They are 4-1 (18-3 in two seasons), two time Titans Bowl Champions in Tennessee. Because of injuries, they will be missing their starting quarterback, Braxton Baptiste, a key leader on offense, and Zach Yates, who is a key leader on defense.
Shown in the picture of the 10U team are, from left, front row, Anthony Dunn, Kadyn Lowe, Chevis Elliott, Braxton Baptiste, Kaleb Ferguson; second row, Chaun Cheaney, Nakeitha Jackson, Asa Dismuke, Lennon Ries, Josh McMurry, Jacquis Todd, Jackson Hampton; third row, Thomas Kash, Zach Yates, Logan Gipson, Josh Todd, Zach Dowlen, Anthony Woodard, Ben Allen; fourth row, coaches Forrest Todd, Scott Yates, Head Coach Toby Baptiste, Chris Elliott, Tony Hampton.
The U9 team consists of, from left, front row, D.J. Elliott, Jack Smith, Daquaveon (DJ) Johnson, Davin Yates, Lamarcus (Junior) Hickman; second row, Landon Bollenbecker, Nicholas Kie, David Thomason, Eli Henry, Jacoby Covington, A.J. Taylor, third row, Camden Phillips, Daylan Roberts, Antonio (Oopie) Chavez, Caine Sydnor, Zane Edge; Back row, Rod Bigbeem Chris Wlliott, Charles (CJ) Jackson, Jon Ray Smith.