Four elementary schools will compete on the dodgeball court to support Combined Community Services. The Food-A-Thon Family Fun Night is Nov. 8 at Lakeview Middle School, with doors opening at 6 p.m. Admission and a raffle ticket is two cans of food per person. Two more cans of food are worth an additional raffle ticket for door prizes. The Food-A-Thon to collect food for CCS is hosted by local radio stations ESPN 1480, Lake City Rock 107.3 WRSW and Willie 103.5. Bill Leslie, CCS food bank coordinator, said the Food-A-Thon will be a real big help to the food pantry. With the proceeds from the dodgeball tournament, CCS Executive Director Steve Possell said they will probably be able to provide food for those in need until April or May. Since the CCS food pantry has gone to Client Healthy Choice, Leslie said CCS has been giving more food away. CCS hasn’t received any commodities from the government for two months, so it comes at a good time. Many local businesses have provided prizes for the raffle. Jefferson Elementary Principal David Robertson said many were gift cards and certificates. Prizes include: a $50 gift card to Cerulean; a $25 gift card to the BakCafe; a $10 Pottery Bayou gift card; a certificate for a one-night stay in a lake-view room at Oakwood Resort, including a $50 credit toward “The Pier and Back Porch”; a six-month membership to the Warsaw YMCA; two tickets to “The Sound of Music” at The Wagon Wheel Theatre; a Page’s Crossing family fun pack; a $35 gift certificate to The Leesburg Mill; a gel manicure gift set at Expressions Salon and Day Spa; a $40 Pizza King gift certificate; a $20 Owen’s gift certificate; three Tree of Life mugs with a free drink with each; two stadium blankets and an umbrella from Manchester University; $20 in Winona Lake dollars; a $20 Boathouse Restaurant gift card; $50 Redwood Firewood Grill gift certificate; $50 Visa card; and a Vein Institute and Medi Spa PCA Chemical Peel valued at $99. Warsaw School Board member and former Harrison Principal Randy Polston said the Plumlee family has jumped on board to support the event. They’ve provided a poster signed by all three Plumlee boys, Mason, Marshall and Miles; a Duke poster signed by Mason and Miles; an NBA hat signed by Mason and Miles; and tennis shoes signed by Mason. All three of the Plumlee sons attended Jefferson Elementary and played at Duke University, with Miles and Mason now in the NBA. Marshall Plumlee is in his third year at Duke. Each of the four participating elementary schools has agreed to run a Food-A-Thon food drive next week, according to Polston. Possell said those donations will be picked up next Friday and be added to the food collected at the dodgeball event. The first dodgeball match at 6:30 p.m. pits Leesburg versus Jefferson. In the second game, Harrison will play Lincoln. A consolation game will take place before the championship game. Sixth-graders can participate in the dodgeball tournament with the teachers and staff if the students donated food. Last year, approximately 100 students took part in the dodgeball games. In 2012, Harrison Principal Lee Snider said his school collected 3,500 food items. The Huskies have collected more than 1,000 items as of Thursday. As for a goal, Robertson said this is the first year his school has participated so they will see how it goes this year. Leesburg Principal Randy Dahms said his school is telling students that if they can’t attend the Food-A-Thon, giving at school is one opportunity to participate. Classes at Lincoln are having a friendly competition among themselves for the food drive, Principal Cathy Snyder stated. Harrison Elementary won the dodgeball tournament last year, Snider confirmed. The Food-A-Thon sports tournament started in 2006, with Harrison winning every year except once when Leesburg did. It started as a basketball tournament, tried volleyball one year and then became dodgeball the last couple of years. Guest referees will be Roger Grossman, WRSW radio personality; Nathan Polston, Pierceton Elementary principal and former Leesburg teacher; and Dennis Duncan, former Jefferson principal and Grace College director of prison education. Randy Polston said the committee of teachers wanted to bring back guests as referees that the students would know. Sponsored by Dr. Michael Lyons II, two Colts cheerleaders will be at the dodgeball games. Blue, the Indianapolis Colts mascot, was already booked for Nov. 8, but the cheerleaders were more than happy to participate. Polston said this is the second year for the cheerleaders at the event. People can have their picture taken with the cheerleaders for $5. Jeff Nycz, local photographer, will be on site to take the pictures of the Colt Cheerleaders and fans. Face painting will be available for $1. Concessions will be available. All proceeds go to CCS.
