Karrer’s Turkey Bowl tradition to continue Nov. 25
By: Debbie Gillum
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| Former OSU basketball star Scoonie Penn talks strategy to students of Dublin Karrer Middle School during the annual Turkey Bowl fundraiser Nov. 25 |
Wednesday November 19, 2014 9:29 a.m.
Written for ThisWeekNews Dublin Villager newspaper
Local sports stars will play flag football with Karrer Middle School students to raise money for charity in the annual Turkey Bowl Fundraiser on Tues. Nov. 25.
The Turkey Bowl is a flag-football game which celebrates the seventh grader’s service project and fundraising efforts.
Scoonie Penn, a former OSU basketball player, and Mike Durant, a former OSU baseball player, will be returning as quarterbacks in this year’s Turkey Bowl.
Last year, the seventh grade students raised over $8,000 to feed 90 families in the Dublin City School District.
“Every year this fundraiser gets bigger and better,” said Turkey Bowl organizer and Karrer teacher Katy O’Neal. “We now have raised over $50,000 in five years!”
However, the Turkey Bowl is not just about collecting money.
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| Justin Turner (left) and Matthew Kish, battle for a pass during the school’s annual Turkey Bowl fundraiser |
“We spend a day doing team building activities with the seventh graders with a focus on working together as a team while embracing our differences,” said O’Neal.
Beginning this year, every seventh grader will have the opportunity to spend a morning at Chapman Elementary helping fill the backpacks with food and reading to younger elementary students. A small group of students will also be going to Riverside Elementary to speak at their Town Hall Meeting themed “Responsibility and Giving Back”.
Past participants in the Turkey Bowl have included former Ohio State players including Scoonie Penn, Craig Krenzel, Bobby Hoying,Tommy Hoying, Justin Zwick, Dee Miller, Mike Wiley, and Rodney Bailey. Former Major League pitcher and Dublin native Kent Mercker, and Superintendent Dr. David Axner have also participated in the event.
The donations this year will benefit Blessings in a Backpack. This program provides needy families at Chapman and Riverside elementary with a backpack of food to take home for 38 weekends during the school year.
“We are so blessed to have the opportunity to not only teach curriculum but to teach these kids the importance of community, teamwork, and paying it forward!,” O’Neal said.
In previous years, the Turkey Bowl has raised money for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research and the Second and Seven Foundation for Literacy.
This year, there will be 11 flag-football fields with 22 teams playing. All of the Karrer seventh graders participate in this event.
The Tukey Bowl takes place the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at Karrer Middle School from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
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Deb’s Details:
This was one of my first articles for ThisWeek News. I was really excited to write it because it sounded like a neat event and I sincerely wanted to raise awareness about it. I was trying to imagine how cool it must be for those elementary school students to play flag football with pro-athletes. And, I think the charity Blessings in Backpacks sounds like such a great cause.
I was impressed that a teacher started the charity on her own and that it’s still so successful. I wish I could have made the article longer by getting more quotes. I would’ve liked to interview an elementary student or one of the athletes
This was one of my first articles for ThisWeek News. I was really excited to write it because it sounded like a neat event and I sincerely wanted to raise awareness about it. I was trying to imagine how cool it must be for those elementary school students to play flag football with pro-athletes. And, I think the charity Blessings in Backpacks sounds like such a great cause.
I was impressed that a teacher started the charity on her own and that it’s still so successful. I wish I could have made the article longer by getting more quotes. I would’ve liked to interview an elementary student or one of the athletes
Debbie Gillum Wakefield 