15th Annual DECA Charity Game
January 14, 2015
Every year the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) branch at West sponsors a boys varsity basketball game and teacher game. The game is always played against Shawnee Mission South. This year, the profits earned from t-shirt sales and other donations benefitted the Tom Karlin Foundation. The Tom Karlin Foundation was set up in memory of Tom Karlin, a West student in the class of 2012, who took his own life in November 2011. The foundation helps educate teens about mental illness and suicide awareness.
The teacher game was held after the Vikings beat the Raiders 69-59. The Viking staff, in purple, beat the Raider staff, in yellow, 30-29. The teacher athletes shocked everyone on the court with dunks and long three-pointers.
“We raised about $2,000 to be donated to the Tom Karlin Foundation. It was one of the best charity games in recent years. Administrators even said it was the most packed they had seen the gym for as long as they have been at West. It was great to see both schools unite for such a worthy cause and all wear purple” senior DECA member Brandon Baudry said.
To learn more about the Tom Karlin Foundation visit www.tomkarlinfoundation.com.
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