Greencastle boys' hoops donates to food pantry
GREENCASTLE -- It's about more than just wins and losses.
That's a lesson the Greencastle boys' basketball team is learning this season, and one they put into action on Nov. 21.
"The more positive influence we can have on the community, the better," said JV coach Doug Hudson.
With this in mind, the team accepted donations to the Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry at its intra-squad scrimmage on Nov. 21. Fans were asked to bring canned goods or some other sort of non-perishable item for the food pantry.
The donations will certainly not go unused. Judy Miller was on hand at McAnally Center last Monday to accept the donations from the team, and she said the pantry is seeing heavy traffic this year.
"We're being hit really hard," Miller said. "Everybody is."
Miller said the pantry has already served about 900 meals more than it did last year. With the holidays, she estimates the final tally for the year will between 16,000 and 20,000 meals.
The GHS coaching staff decided the pantry would be a good way for the GHS players and fans to share what they have.
"Most young men and women who particpate in extracurricular activities are not indigent, so we thought, 'Let's share what we have,'" Hudson said.
They also remind the players that making a difference in the community is something that matters a lot more than anything they do on the court.
"We tell the kids, we're probably going to fill the stands faster by doing this kind of thing than by winning 15 or 20 games," Hudson said.