The 16th annual March Madness basketball game between the Churchville-Chili LEO Club and the Churchville Lions Club was played on Sunday, March 2. Proceeds from the event were donated to the Dan Kweicien family. Dan is a 911 Dispatcher and a volunteer fireman. His wife, Catherine, is a teacher at the Churchville-Chili Middle School and is currently on extended leave as she cares for their two-year-old daughter, Kailee, who is battling a muscle cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma.
The LEO Club is comprised of students in grades 7 through 12 who perform various community services and they are sponsored by the Churchville Lions Club. While the students showed up in force to again run the adults into another defeat, the Lions were comprised of a shrinking band of veteran gamers who were joined by a team of Churchville-Chili teachers in support of the Kweiciens. The Churchville Fire Department and their Explorer group also showed up to participate in the fun. At the end, the only number that mattered was the $2,150 that was raised and donated to the Kweiciens.
Two outstanding C-C graduates and LEO Club alumnae: Chad Hardy acted as coach for the LEOS and Tom Hammel, as referee, did his usual superb part to keep order to the mayhem.
Local businesses donated gift certificates which were raffled off as part of the fundraising. Those included Wegman’s (Chili-Paul plaza); The Glue Factory, The Garden Factory, Tim Horton’s (North Chili) and Christopher’s Times Square Restaurant. Spectators who came to watch and all left smiling were also a large part of the success.
The LEO Club is in its 17th year of service. Activities include preparing a meal monthly at the Ronald McDonald House and regular interaction with students at the Batavia School For The Blind and helping at the School of the Holy Childhood. The LEOS assist at many school related functions including Celebrate Churchville, picnics and open houses, kid watches at various board meetings and the elementary school roller skating parties. They will be Sewing4Smiles later this month with local Girl Scouts to donate pillowcases to Golisano’s Children’s Hospital.
They can be seen wearing their bright yellow LEO Club tee shirts at Lions BBQs and Country Fair. They also assist at Riga Recreation functions and Churchville Patriot Camp. They will wrap up this school year at the Westside Relay For Life in June.
LEO Club Advisors are Cyndy Taladay, math teacher at the senior high and Marty Molinari, Life Member of the Churchville Lions Club.
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