Two Nebo Rival Schools Come Together for the Good of the Needy

Submitted by lana.hiskey on
SFHS and MMHS Athletes Come Together to Help Families
SFHS and MMHS Athletes Come Together to Help Families
SFHS and MMHS Athletes Come Together to Help Families
SFHS and MMHS Athletes Come Together to Help Families
SFHS and MMHS Athletes Come Together to Help Families
SFHS and MMHS Athletes Come Together to Help Families
SFHS and MMHS Athletes Come Together to Help Families

This is what the Christmas spirit is all about. What a merry sight to see the athletes from Maple Mountain High and Spanish Fork High meet the day after school was out for the holidays. The athletes organized, assembled, and gave meal baskets to families in need from the Spanish Fork and Mapleton communities. 
                                                
The athletes spent their first day of Christmas break putting their rivalry aside and coming together to help families in need. By the end of the day, the student athletes of the Spanish Fork Dons and of Maple Mountain Eagles were calling themselves, “The Doneagles.” 

“Over 100 athletes combined gathered to put the bags together and make the deliveries to over 130 families. Over the past two weeks these kids have raised enough money to make this all happen,” stated Dave Boyack, Athletic Director at Spanish Fork High. “The ‘Especially for Athletes’ program that these kids belong to seeks to bless not only other students in their schools but also members of their communities. Athletes wear wristbands with the words ‘Eyes up... Do the Work.’ This reminder and message was definitely on display this morning. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

Gracie Keisel, MMHS Volleyball, said, “I think this was a great opportunity for us to look outside ourselves and serve others during the holidays. It’s so easy to get caught up in things like stressing about what to get everyone for Christmas, but what we don’t realize is that there are people out there who may not be as fortunate as us. So not only did I love being able to serve, it was a great reminder for me to be thankful for everything I have.”

“It was wonderful to see the student athletes from rival schools come together through service. I enjoyed seeing the families light up when we brought them the meals,” Quinn Burtenshaw, MMHS Football.
                        
Dustin Smith, co-founder of Especially for Athletes (E4A) said, “This has been a great morning having all these athletes from Nebo School District out here. We have over or so kids here I would guess. Parents, coaches, administrators delivered 130 meals to families in Southern Utah County. Kids showed up. They were on time. It’s been an awesome day doing this and being able to help.”

Luv Roberts, SFHS Basketball, said, “Today’s experience was really cool as student athletes to have this opportunity to do something good for those in need. It was cool that multiple schools got together and worked together to deliver 130 meals to families in need. It was cool to see how grateful the families were to receive the meals. It made me feel happy to help others.”

“Spanish Fork High School and Maple Mountain High School athletes took time out of their holiday break to participate in an opportunity to serve the local community today.  The leadership councils from both schools as part of the Especially for Athletes (E4A) program raised money to feed local families this Christmas, stated Jesse Roberts, Spanish Fork High Athletic Director. “The energy and effort put forth by our local student athletes was incredible! It is a powerful example of students putting aside athletic rivalries and uniting in the spirit of the season for the common good. I am constantly blown away by the good things student athletes throughout our district are willing to do when provided with a positive direction. Thank you for all the support and help with this project!”

“It was super cool and meaningful to see the happy looks on everyone’s faces when we delivered their meals!” Gage Christensen, Spanish Fork Football.

Shad Martin, co-founder of E4A, said, “All the kids, all these athletes raised all the money themselves. The average donation was around $30, which means the kids did it out of their own pockets and from their friends. These athletes did an incredible thing for families in our community this week.”            

E4A is a student athlete service organization that involves high school athletes in looking out for individuals in need. The overall hope is to stop bullying, suicide, depression, and generally anyone who is struggling. Athletes wear wristbands with the phrase “Eyes Up Do The Work.”                        

#TheClimb #NeboHero #NeboSchoolDistrict #StudentSuccess #EmpowerStudents #EngageStudents #FocusOnStudents #LoveUTpublicSchools #UtPol #UtEd #ThankATeacher #LoveTeaching #E4A #SFHS #MMHS

Attributions
By Lana Hiskey