Jamison’s Whiffle Ball Fundraiser Benefits Special Olympians
Kelsey Jamison is always looking to do a good deed for someone. The Huntington High School senior recently organized a whiffle ball game to benefit the Blue Devil Special Olympics program.
Huntington students have long been at the forefront of raising monies for good causes. Ms. Jamison fits right into this established tradition. The recent event raised more than $500. Special Olympics team coach Linda Costello-Roth said the funds will be put to good use and directly benefit the athletes in the program.
Ms. Jamison has been a student in the district since kindergarten at Washington Primary School. She has a wide circle of friends among her classmates and has always had a special place in her heart reserved for students in the high school’s Life Skills program. Many of these same teenagers participate in the Blue Devil Special Olympics initiative.
The senior didn’t want to just raise money to help the Special Olympians, she wanted them involved in the event itself. That’s how the move to organize a whiffle ball game got rolling.
Each Life Skills student was partnered with a helper who provided them with guidance and support as they hit, ran and fielded. “Everyone had a great time and they’re looking forward to this becoming a yearly tradition,” Ms. Jamison said.
A member of Huntington’s varsity softball team, Ms. Jamison got her teammates behind the plan. The group held a bake sale the day before the game and used the funds to purchase tee-shirts that the Life Skills students wore on the field.
Ms. Jamison received the support of high school special education teacher Erica Murphy-Jessen, Blue Devil softball coach Jim Byrnes, Director of Athletics Georgia Deren McCarthy, family members and teammates and Huntington’s Natural Helpers club, among others.
The teenager performed some community fundraising. When she reached out to Natural Helpers for its support, club members were thrilled to be able to get involved.
“It was definitely a day that I’m never going to forget,” Ms. Jamison said. “Everyone was so happy to be there and play. Throughout the whole game, I had a smile on my face because of the joy it brought me to see how happy this whiffle ball game made everyone.”