We Wore Blue for Kelly Pung

Coach Antcliff with the girl's during a timeout.

Last Tuesday, February 21, 2017, Beal City Athletics did something truly amazing.  They came together as a community to bring hope and awareness for Kelly Pung’s fight against cancer during Beal City’s girls’ basketball game against the NMC Comets.  The girl’s team may not have pulled out a win in the game, but awareness was brought to a fantastic cause.

The game got off to a slow start for the Aggies when after the first quarter they were down 28-2.  The lone score for the Aggies was made off of an offensive rebound by sophomore, Alex Fussman.  She continued to have an impressive night for the Aggies by nailing a three late in the fourth quarter and by taking charge of the Aggie offense.

Another impressive standout for the Aggies that night was junior, Ashley Reihl.  She continuously battled on both the offensive and especially the defensive side of the ball for rebounds.  These are stats that not very many people pay attention to, so we wanted to give her some credit.  She impressed us enough with these behind the scene battles to win Athlete of the Week honors from our blog staff for last week.

Although the final score for the game was not in Beal City’s favor finishing 18-68, there was still a win on the night.  Beal City students, staff, and community members helped raise a whopping $4,186.  Some of the areas that raised money were the t-shirts that people were able to purchase with the saying, “I Wear Blue for Kelly Pung” on the back.  As a spectator, the front truly captured my attention reading, “Not all Cancer is Pink.”  Along with the t-shirts, there was a bake sale, bracelets for sale, and a 50/50 raffle.  To truly capture the Beal City spirit though, one had to be there for the halftime half-court shot.  This was run by Beal City’s own “Blue Crew,” an organization run by Beal City High School students, that raised an additional $57 to help Kelly’s fight.  Watch the video below to catch a couple lucky participants drain their half court shot!

By: Valerie Johnson