Team heads to championship funded by donations

2 years ago 308

CHICAGO (CBS) – Once successful doubt, immoderate 13-year-old shot players from Chicago’s southbound broadside are headed to Florida, to vie for a nationalist championship. They needed $30,000 to marque the travel and they were moving retired of clip to rise the money.

CBS 2’s Jim Williams covered the communicative this past play and present reports the assemblage has rallied astir the kids.

“I’m thankful to everybody that donated to us.”

Jayvon Anderson and Leonard Gibson — 2 8th people shot players who recognize sacrifice.

“I’m truly grateful, particularly due to the fact that of the holidays. So a batch of radical are spending a batch of wealth for their families truthful for them to donate to america it shows that they truly attraction astir us,” Anderson said.

As we told you this past weekend, their squad was connected the thoroughfare astatine 87th and Dan Ryan asking drivers for wealth truthful they could play for a nationalist title successful Florida.

South Side Wolfpack — 13-year-olds — won authorities and midwest titles, but they needed $30,000 to marque the trip.

“At archetypal I thought we would beryllium a small short,” Gibson said.

The manager acceptable up a GoFundMe leafage and their aboriginal tally was grim.

At the commencement of the weekend, determination was lone $2,000 successful the GoFundMe relationship and the travel was precise overmuch successful doubt. But by Monday, it was wide they were connected their mode to Florida.

Businessman Early Walker called friends successful the concern assemblage and they came through, truthful did our viewers. Impressed with Coach Ernest Radcliffe’s way grounds — coaching and mentoring 400 boys astatine immoderate fixed time.

“I’m ever connected the frontlines arsenic it relates to the unit successful Chicago, and umm truthful I couldn’t assistance but deliberation these kids are retired present doing thing positive. We’re looking for ways to amended Chicago,” said Walker.

The GoFundMe leafage present has much than $50,000.

“I’m precise ecstatic particularly considering I was preparing mentally for similar coming up short,” said Anderson. “It feels truly bully to that value lifted disconnected my shoulders to beryllium capable to accidental confidently volition marque it the nationals this year.”

The players and the coaches are grateful.

“That is simply a tremendous grant and the metropolis of Chicago conscionable enactment their arms astir america and truly rallied to assistance each of our young people,” Radcliffe said.

Now it’s connected to Florida.

“We person unfinished concern to instrumentality attraction of and that’s what we’re going down for is to instrumentality attraction of business,” said manager Rynell Morgan.

The autobus leaves astatine 11 a.m. connected Friday.

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Coach Radcliffe tells america they’ll usage the other wealth to instrumentality their older players connected assemblage tours, enactment the girl’s cheer teams they coach, grow their shot program, and possibly commencement a drumline.