“Shine for Gold” GIPS Middle School Volleyball Triangular Raises $1,200 for Pediatric Cancer Awareness

GRAND ISLAND (Neb.) — The annual middle school volleyball G-I Showdown triangular took on a profound meaning this year as Barr, Walnut, and Westridge Middle Schools joined forces for the "Shine for Gold" event. 

Originally conceived as a "Pink Out" event, the focus this year shifted to pediatric cancer awareness after the Walnut 8th Grade Team, and event hosting school, requested the change this past summer to honor beloved peers.  Thanks to the support of families, staff, and community members, the “Shine for Gold” event successfully raised $1,200 through t-shirt sales, cake pop goodies, and free-will donations. All donated proceeds will go directly to the Grace Cancer Foundation and their work supporting families battling cancer.

Kim Luthy, Walnut eighth-grade volleyball coach and seventh-grade science teacher, shared: "As a coach and an educator, it's just been really cool to see the girls own the event each year and how it kind of morphs from year to year… So for me, this has just become a moment of honoring all of the great people in our community. Tonight, especially, was really big for our girls. Our girls were able to finally feel like they're helping people in need that they know and that they're connected to, and this crew just kept wanting to do more and more and more