Article by John Sorce at The Leaven
LEAVENWORTH — University of Saint Mary president Sister Diane Steele, SCL, hadn’t laced up her basketball shoes since high school.
But that didn’t stop her, or her fellow Sisters of Charity, from holding a fundraiser — Granny Basketball-style — for the Leavenworth school’s Guardian Angel Fund on Nov. 3.
Sister Diane said the idea came from a member of the Kansas Meadowlarks, Elaine Alexander, who is a USM alumna herself (class of 1979) and served as the Sisters’ opponent for the event. But Alexander said the idea initially came from the team’s head coach, Holly Jessen, who is a 1998 graduate and played for the school’s Spires from 1994-98.
“Our coach initially said it would be cool if the Sisters of Charity had a team,” Alexander said. “I liked that idea, too, but I didn’t know what we would play them for. Then, I went to the reunion a few years ago and that’s when I found out about the Guardian Angel Fund they had started. I knew that would be the perfect opportunity to get a Granny Basketball game together.”
A total of $4,826 was raised for the fund, which is an earnings-matching program of up to $2,500 a semester to help students with financial need bridge the gap to achieve their educational dreams. Most of the funds were raised the day of through donations and the 50/50 drawing. People were also able to donate online if they were not able to attend in person…
