Wawasee’s Jake Hutchinson and Jeffrey Moore sport Special Olympics shirts during last year’s game. (File photo by Nick Goralczyk)

SYRACUSE – For the second year in a row the local Special Olympics basketball team will be playing a scrimmage during the halftime of one a Wawasee basketball game. This year’s scrimmage will coincide with several fundraising events during Friday’s Warsaw-Wawasee game held at the Hardwood Teepee.

“It’s a time for the players to come, show off their skills and get the word out about our organization,” began Courtney Linnemeier, a Wawasee student leader in charge of the event. “We’re also going to have a raffle throughout the night, we’ll be raffling off items that were donated throughout the Kosciusko community as well as selling shirts at the game.”

T-shirt sales have already began at the school but, as Linnemeier stated, they will also be available for purchase at the game, in addition to the raffle and a bake sale. All shirts will be $10 with the proceeds from those sales, the raffle and bake sale going to Kosciusko County Special Olympics. Donations will also be accepted at the game.

The raffle items were donated from numerous businesses throughout the Wawasee and Warsaw communities.

Linnemeier helped run the event in January of last year and is no stranger to other Special Olympics volunteer projects. The senior is currently up for the state’s Volunteer of the Year Award, presented by Indiana Special Olympics. But as much as she enjoys helping those in need, Linnemeier feels lucky to have the chance to do the volunteer work.

“It fills me up inside to know that I could help all of these people,” Linnemeier remarked. “As much as I hear that I’ve helped other people, I really know that they’ve all helped me. I’ve learned through this volunteer work that everything we have is truly a gift. I’ve been so thankful to be able to work with the Special Olympics.”

The varsity contest between Warsaw and Wawasee will start at approximately 7:30 p.m.