Wawasee, Warsaw to Compete in Dodgeball for Riley

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.


Normally rivals, Wawasee and Warsaw Community High Schools will come together Thursday night for a good cause.
The Riley Dodgeball Challenge will take place in the Tiger Den at WCHS from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost for spectators is $2. Proceeds from the event benefit Riley Hospital for Children.
Motivational speaker Jeff Yalden will open the evening.
Troy Akers, WCHS principal, said back in late January/early February, Wawasee Principal Don Harman talked to him about having Yalden come speak to the students at both schools. Wawasee and Warsaw both suffered tragedies when several students took their own lives.
Warsaw hadn’t had a good motivational speaker in awhile, Akers said. After the tragedy, Akers was searching for someone to bring in. Harman told Akers he had a good experience with Yalden at another school 15 years ago, and Yalden reached every kid in that school.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz OK’d Akers’ request to bring Yalden in. The sessions Yalden had with the students at both high schools and the public went phenomenally well, Akers said. Yalden’s message was, “Take time to think.”
After his session at WCHS that Friday, Yalden asked to come back for the home basketball game to experience a little bit of Hoosier Hysteria. Akers said that was fine, and Yalden sat in the first row of the student section. Everyone had a blast, Akers said.
Recently, Yalden contacted Akers and told him he’d be coming through Indiana March 18-23, and would have time Thursday to stop into Warsaw. He asked if there was some project going on that he could participate in so he could give back to the communities who he felt gave so much to him.
There was.
All next week, WCHS is having its Riley fundraiser, which cumulates in a Riley Dance Marathon March 23, from 5 to 11 p.m. Wawasee is having its Riley fundraiser this weekend.
“We’re just going all out for Riley all this next week,” Akers said.
Akers talked to Harman about the two schools doing something together and Harman was excited about the idea. Harman knew his students would be excited because they’ve been keeping up with Yalden through social media since his session at the high school.
Harman suggested a dodgeball tournament between the two schools.
“It’s neat to have two rival schools come together for one cause,” Akers stated.
Each school will have 12 teams, and the cost per team is $25. Each team must be co-ed, with at least two girls on each team. Clubs and organizations are encouraged to take part, and there will be a faculty team from each school.
The winning school will be determined by the most matches won.
If a team wins two out of three competitions, the team gets a point for their school. The school with the most points wins.
Yalden will award $500 for the best dressed and team name combination, and $500 to the winning school for Riley.
Proceeds will be split between the two schools to give to Riley.

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Normally rivals, Wawasee and Warsaw Community High Schools will come together Thursday night for a good cause.
The Riley Dodgeball Challenge will take place in the Tiger Den at WCHS from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost for spectators is $2. Proceeds from the event benefit Riley Hospital for Children.
Motivational speaker Jeff Yalden will open the evening.
Troy Akers, WCHS principal, said back in late January/early February, Wawasee Principal Don Harman talked to him about having Yalden come speak to the students at both schools. Wawasee and Warsaw both suffered tragedies when several students took their own lives.
Warsaw hadn’t had a good motivational speaker in awhile, Akers said. After the tragedy, Akers was searching for someone to bring in. Harman told Akers he had a good experience with Yalden at another school 15 years ago, and Yalden reached every kid in that school.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz OK’d Akers’ request to bring Yalden in. The sessions Yalden had with the students at both high schools and the public went phenomenally well, Akers said. Yalden’s message was, “Take time to think.”
After his session at WCHS that Friday, Yalden asked to come back for the home basketball game to experience a little bit of Hoosier Hysteria. Akers said that was fine, and Yalden sat in the first row of the student section. Everyone had a blast, Akers said.
Recently, Yalden contacted Akers and told him he’d be coming through Indiana March 18-23, and would have time Thursday to stop into Warsaw. He asked if there was some project going on that he could participate in so he could give back to the communities who he felt gave so much to him.
There was.
All next week, WCHS is having its Riley fundraiser, which cumulates in a Riley Dance Marathon March 23, from 5 to 11 p.m. Wawasee is having its Riley fundraiser this weekend.
“We’re just going all out for Riley all this next week,” Akers said.
Akers talked to Harman about the two schools doing something together and Harman was excited about the idea. Harman knew his students would be excited because they’ve been keeping up with Yalden through social media since his session at the high school.
Harman suggested a dodgeball tournament between the two schools.
“It’s neat to have two rival schools come together for one cause,” Akers stated.
Each school will have 12 teams, and the cost per team is $25. Each team must be co-ed, with at least two girls on each team. Clubs and organizations are encouraged to take part, and there will be a faculty team from each school.
The winning school will be determined by the most matches won.
If a team wins two out of three competitions, the team gets a point for their school. The school with the most points wins.
Yalden will award $500 for the best dressed and team name combination, and $500 to the winning school for Riley.
Proceeds will be split between the two schools to give to Riley.

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