GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM … Following their practice, these girls and their coaches enjoyed some pizza and then wrapped the gifts for five of the six families being blessed for the 2021 Stryker Christmas Mission. Back row, left to right are Oliviah Clingaman, Kaitlyn Myers, Abbi Opdycke, Karah Gerencser, Brooke Brenner, Natalie Bowers, Marissa Myers, Emma Fulk, Coach Conner Varner with her baby, and organizer Anissa Armstrong. In the front row are Assistant Coach Brittney Haines, Adysen Andres, Sage Woolace, Haylee Fulk, Taylore Rethmel, Gabby Ramon, Lexi Wickerham and JV Coach Taylor Haines. (PHOTOS BY REBECCA MILLER, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
For six years a group of Stryker residents have been raising funds and blessing local households in need at Christmas. This year enough money was raised and gifts donated to bless six households completely, which includes gifts, bills paid and food.
They were also able to pay a few bills for three other households due to the abundance of generosity from the community.
Two fundraisers were held this past year, one being a garage sale and the other a Taco dinner and Bake Sale. After all the gifts were purchased, Brooke Benner who is very involved in the effort, suggested that they ask the Stryker Girls Basketball Team and the Cheerleaders to wrap the gifts.
The invitation was accepted and on Tuesday, December 13, 2021 they gathered in Miss Sullivan’s 6th grade classroom to wrap gifts. At 4:30 the Cheerleading Squad unloaded all the gifts, sorted them and set up five table areas for the wrapping to be done.
They also stayed and wrapped some of the gifts as it had not taken them as long to unload them as they thought it would. Pizza had been purchased for the two squads to share at 5 p.m when the Basketball team finished their practice and came to help wrap gifts.
The Clubhouse pizza was welcomed by the team who had just finished a hard practice time, and then they joyfully headed into the duty of the day…getting all those presents wrapped.
The gifts for the sixth family were being wrapped by someone else and then everything was to be delivered the weekend before Christmas. Well done, Stryker.
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com
CHEERLEADING SQUAD … Abbie Meyer, Maddy Miehls, Bailey Short, Alexa Martinez, Sydney Fether, and Brooke Collins gathered for a picture with Anissa Armstrong (mission organizer) and Assistant Cheer Coach Jenna Ramone after unloading all the gifts into the school for wrapping.
