Trophies donated to Riley will encourage patients

Representatives of the Greencastle High School student council (from left) junior Brooke Sage, sophomore Emily Dean, junior Cassie Alspaugh, announce the group's participation in the Riley Hospital for Children "Medals 4 Mettle" drive. Medals and trophies can be donated at Friday night's GHS boys' and girls' basketball games against Monrovia. The council will also be passing a bucket to collect cash donations for the hospital during the games.

The Greencastle High School Student Council has joined forces with their colleagues across the state to assist Riley Hospital for Children and to recognize the courage of individuals battling life-threatening diseases.

The student group has joined forces with "Medals 4 Mettle," a nonprofit organization with a mission to, "celebrate and reward the individual and collective courage of all human beings."

Organizers of the campaign ask that athletes donate medals and trophies to people who have demonstrated similar "mettle" or courage.

The local campaign culminates at Friday night's boys' and girls' basketball games against Monrovia, where the GHS Student Council will collect the trophies.

Through a partnership with Indianapolis based "Medals 4 Mettle," the trophies will be given patients at Riley Hospital for Children who are battling life-threatening diseases to recognize, that like a champion athlete, these individuals must "dig deep" in order to survive.

Though the medal and trophy initiative is unique to the GHS Student Council this year, the Indiana Association of Student Councils has launched a year-long campaign for Riley Hospital for Children and will be conducting fund raisers across the state. As members of the association, GHS will also be passing donation buckets through the stands Friday, to collect cash contributions to benefit the hospital.

Medals and trophies will be collected at two entrances to McAnally Center. For more information on "Medals 4 Mettle," contact Founder Steven Isenberg, MD, FACS at 1400 N. Ritter Ave. # 221, Indianapolis, IN 46219 or email sisenberg@medals4mettle.org.