Correspondent
GREENFORD – Brookfield’s scrappy play made things interesting but in the end South Range’s experience on the big stage handed the Raiders their second consecutive Div. III district girls basketball championship with a 41-30 victory on Saturday.
The end result was something the Raiders expect as the program has flourished.
“We have kind of set the standard now that this is the game we want to be in every year as a program,” Raiders coach Jeff Fishel said. “Everyone has talked about COVID and adversity, and we have dealt with COVID, shutdowns, and some serious injuries. We probably had more adversity than any team around here, and for us to get through that and be able to cut the nets down on our home court is something these girls will never forget. I’m super proud of them.”
Donations to the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle fundraiser are down this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the charity said.
With a $1.1 million goal, there’s a 30% gap in donations as the Salvation Army National Capital Area Command tries to meet an increased demand by people, including area families and veterans, who are financially struggling.
“There are a few reasons for the dip in kettle donations,” said Mark Woodcock, an area commander major with the nonprofit.
Woodcock said it has been a shorter-than-usual bell-ringing season and there’s been lighter-than-normal foot traffic at area retailers.
“This has been a rough period, financially, for many families some of whom reached out for the very first time to receive help from The Salvation Army,” Woodcock said.