Though Wawasee students didn’t turn out in the numbers hoped for, the Riley Hospital for Children Dodgeball Challenge still raised about $1,500 for the children’s hospital Thursday night. The first annual event also featured motivational speaker Jeff Yalden. The challenge was supposed to have 12 Warsaw Community High School teams and 12 Wawasee High School teams. As a result of a school play and other events at Wawasee, WCHS had 22 teams and Wawasee two. But Principals Don Harman, Wawasee, and Troy Akers, WCHS, were still pleased with the turnout, especially the support for Riley. “I think number one, you just get our youth involved and, obviously, coming together for a good cause, for Riley,” Harman said. “It’s also good fellowship and good clean fun.” He said he was very proud of Wawasee’s whole student body. The event was something Yalden wanted to be a part of, having spoken to both schools after recent school tragedies. Unfortunately, Wawasee has a musical this weekend and many students were involved in that. Wawasee did have a good turnout to the dodgeball challenge with its team and the student spectators. Harman said he could definitely see the event being held again. “I think it would be good. Any time we can bring schools together, I can see us doing it again. The most important thing is that it benefits a good cause like Riley,” Harman concluded. Akers estimated that between the $25 entry fee per team and the gate receipts, the event raised closed to $1,500. He said Wawasee had its Riley fundraiser last weekend, and WCHS is having its Riley Dance Marathon Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. “All the money goes back to Riley,” Akers told the audience during the night. Yalden stopped in at the event after an event in Evansville and on his way to Chicago. Earlier this year, Harman talked to Akers about having Yalden come speak to the students at both schools. Wawasee and Warsaw both suffered tragedies when several students took their own lives. The sessions Yalden had with the students at both high schools and the public went phenomenally well, Akers said previously. 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. Akers talked to Harman about the two schools doing something together, and Harman suggested a dodgeball tournament between the two schools. During an interview at the dodgeball challenge, Yalden said, “I think it was Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, Kaylene and I came out here to speak to these two schools. Since then we’ve had great conversations and communication with Don and Troy. So we’re still trying to find a way to keep the message going out to the students.” He said Kaylene had the idea that since they were coming back to Indiana, they could stop back in Kosciusko County. Kaylene Jablecki is Yalden’s marketing director and national coordinator. “Kaylene kind of put it together and got in touch with Don and Troy, and Don and Troy were really on board with it,” he continued. “The challenge is you have to bring Wawasee here to Warsaw. And I think they’re a little disappointed with the turnout from Wawasee, but I think I’m coming here thinking, ‘What an awesome turnout!’” While he was probably thinking there would be more students, he said, “But I think when you get here and see who was here, I think the energy’s incredible, I think the number’s incredible. You have staff teams from both schools, you have Don and Troy here. So you might raise $750 or $1,000. I’m thinking, ‘Let’s make this an annual event that next year we do at Wawasee.” When Yalden and Jablecki came the first time to this community, he said they were overwhelmed with the great support and the students opening their hearts looking for answers. “So if you ask me what is the message tonight, I think at first we have to look at our lives and our hearts are constantly touched. Kids are resilient. When you come together you realize, that it’s not really about us,” said Yalden. “So here we are, we have children down at the hospital. I don’t know, how much money helps a child get a blood transfusion? How much money toward an hour of cancer research? How much money goes toward a doctor putting a cast on a child? ...” He continued, “So I think we have hardship. But when you start to take it away from me, and who I am, and what I’ve gone through and you start to say, ‘I’m doing this for a cause,’ I think, if anything, Kaylene and I are able to help inspire the kids to help people.” Both Wawasee and WCHS students have been inspired by them, he said, and have kept in touch with him through social media since his last visit. At last night’s event, many students wanted to talk to him, give him a hug or have their picture taken with him. Many students turned out not to play dodgeball, but just to see and hear Yalden.
