Following wins over MatSu opponents Redington and Houston prior to Christmas, the Cordova High School boys basketball team stopped off at the Dimond Mall in Anchorage before returning home for the holidays.
In the process, they happened upon Santa listening to good little girls and boys expressing their wishes for presents under the tree, and decided to ask if they could join him for a photo op.
Of course, the Jolly Old Soul agreed, and exclaimed in glee as all the Wolverines gathered round: “This is the most people I have ever had in a single photo!”
Santa, and all Cordovans, should be proud of what the CHS team, in the spirit of giving, has done as an encore.
Encouraged by third-year Coach Bert Adams, the Wolverines have joined the Cancer Three Point Challenge, which helps the American Cancer Society save more lives.
The Cancer Challenge program unites college and high school basketball teams from all over the country for a common cause – ending cancer. Fans donate for every three-point shot their team makes to benefit the American Cancer Society’s life-saving mission.
During the month of January, for every three point shot the Wolverines make, fans can pledge an amount per shot, or make a one-time flat contribution, by going to the Cordova 3-Point Challenge 2019 website, which is https://pledgeit.org/cvc19-cordova-ak.
“This is the first time we have done this,” Adams said. “It’s a worthy cause picking up popularity all over the country, and we felt we wanted to be a part of it. We’ve set a goal of raising $1000 as our total contribution.”
The Cordova website includes a diagram displaying how much has been pledged and projected contributions. As of January 4, based on a probable 40 three pointers being made in the month, the total earnings, at $3.63 per basket, is $145.
The Coaches vs Cancer 3-Point Challenge national website includes a National Leaderboard for both Colleges and High Schools, and an early leader in the high school category was Weston High School, with an estimated $2,420 already raised.
Last year’s top achievers in the 3-Point Challenge were the Florida Gators, at the college level, with a total of $67,733; and Erskine Academy, at the high school level, with $10,000.
Said college Coach Bill Self of national powerhouse Kansas, “To all the coaches and teams out there across the country, I’m inviting you to join the Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge. Together we can help save more lives!”
