Jayhawks Award Schwegler Elementary With Schools For Success Award
May 4, 2012
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Students at Schwegler Elementary School in Lawrence were greeted by a special group of visitors Friday afternoon as members of the Kansas women’s basketball team, head coach Bonnie Henrickson and Baby Jay all stopped by for a school assembly. KU was there to present Schwegler with the “Schools for Success” elementary school challenge award.
The elementary school attendance challenge is a friendly competition between 14 Lawrence schools to have the highest percentage attendance rate at home KU women’s basketball games during the 2012 Big 12 Conference season. Schwegler had the highest rate of attendance at the end of the season and was awarded a $2,500 prize. Second place went to last year’s winner, Pinckney, as it received $1,500 and Sunflower placed third for a $1,000 prize. The program was made possible by the NCAA Women’s Basketball Grant Program. Awarded to KU in 2009, its purpose is to increase awareness and attendance for KU women’s basketball.
Principal Jared Comfort began the assembly by congratulating and thanking the students and faculty for all of their hard work before introducing Henrickson. The KU coach praised the students for their efforts, then handed the microphone to junior forward Carolyn Davis, who presented Comfort with a basketball autographed by the entire women’s team and the check for $2,500. After a surprise appearance by Baby Jay, the eager students lined up to get high fives from Henrickson, Davis and the rest of the Jayhawks.
Kansas Athletics provided an admission card to each student in the K-6th grade which allowed free admission at the gate to all Big 12 Conference home games. In addition, the card could be presented at the KU ticket office to receive a $3 ticket for family and friends and a $1 juice box. Each elementary is adopted by a member of the KU women’s basketball team and staff, who serves as a positive role model for the kids in the community by visiting the students, reading to them, eat lunch with them and playing at recess.
