The roar of basketballs swishing through nets filled the gym at Latrobe Elementary School on December 7, 2024, but the energy on the court wasn’t just about improving shooting percentages. The Greater Latrobe boys basketball team hosted the annual Shoot-A-Thon, a fundraising opportunity aimed at helping victims of Hurricane Helene, which left many families in North Carolina and Tennessee with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The event, organized by the team, coaches, and parents drew a large range of support. Freshman to senior players set out to make as many baskets as possible within the window of two hours. Each shot of the 100 attempted baskets was rendered into pledged donations made prior by sponsors. The funds raised will go directly to relief efforts in the hurricane-stricken areas, helping families rebuild their lives after the unthinkable.
Each player gave their best effort to complete as many successful shots as possible. They focused intently, their eyes were locked on the hoop, brows furrowed in concentration, and muscles tense with determination. Sweat dripped steadily as they tuned out the chatter of teammates and the hum of the gym, channeling all their energy into perfecting their form and timing. Sophomore Rylan Linhart earned the top spot scoring 89 baskets in the timed window. Junior Ian DeCerb followed closely with 88 and senior Kyle McNeil completed 87. Another standout was senior Max Butler
who found the net 84 times.
Team members were not the only participants at the event. Coach Wetzel and Coach Pratt also found the hoop that morning to support the movement. Wetzel, who has been
coaching the team for the past 22 years, explained why this cause was so near to his heart. “These people were absolutely cut off from mankind,” he said. “All the roads that used to exist, gone. It’s not that they need to be repaired; the roads are gone,” said Wetzel.
In the days following the tragedy, Pastor Mike Bobula, the GLHS basketball team’s chaplain, traveled to Unicoi, Tennessee to aid in relief efforts. Bobula has relatives in the North Carolina and Tennessee areas and wanted to witness the destruction for himself. Upon his arrival, he was connected with Pastor Lance Hanbey who serves in Unicoi County. Hanbey showed Bobula around and immediately put Pastor Mike to work. Bobula immediately began unloading generators and other necessities from several Black Hawk helicopters that were landing in the area.
When Pastor Mike returned, he shared stories of a town that was relatively the same size as Latrobe. He talked of a Vietnam veteran who was rescued from the flood while his home was ten feet under water and about entire houses being swept away. The relations between the two small towns struck a chord for Wetzel as Bobula revealed his experience. Mr. Wetzel said, “We felt we could do something to help some families out.”
Helping was exactly what they did. “I mean it’s amazing the support we got for this cause,” Wetzel said. “I believe each shot made about 40 to 50 dollars.” Annually, the team’s charity is based on need. This year, they decided to benefit the hurricane victims whose town mirrors Latrobe. “We know specifically we are going to help these families,” said the basketball coach.
Staying in touch with the affected community and seeing how the generosity helped them was something the team thought was important. The idea of gratitude is something the basketball coach found humbling. “We’re pretty lucky to have what we have, to put our efforts into competing on Tuesday and Friday nights versus trying to find a place that’s warm to sleep at night,” said Wetzel.
“Now there’s no place for families to live,” center Ian DeCerb said. The aid the team provided will help assist families who need to winterize their campers to stay warm throughout the season. When the flooding occurred, the Nolichucky River got so much wider that entire houses were being swept away in minutes.
The December event is not all Coach Wetzel aims to do. The devastation will not be over and will probably take years to recover and rebuild. Over the summer, Wetzel, along with fellow teachers and students may continue the personalized effort in Tennessee and North Carolina. He said, “We might head down there, roll up our sleeves a bit and get to work.”
Pastor Mike Bobula left the basketball team with an important message following the shoot-a-thon. “There’s going to be families where their whole lives are changed from what you’re doing today,” he expressed. “We can’t solve the whole thing, but a couple of families are really going to appreciate it, so thank you for everything.”
