Parishioners of Our Lady of the Lakes in Waterford play basketball to raise money for veterans July 15.WATERFORD — Members of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Waterford are shooting hoops to help out local heroes.
What began as simple pick-up basketball has turned into a full-blown charitable effort that builds camaraderie among parishioners and assists the community’s police, firefighters, military and veterans.
Every Wednesday night, parishioners who meet at the high school gym donate a few dollars for the parish’s “Got Your 6” campaign. Since the group started eight months ago, players have raised more than $1,800, donating $5 at a time.
“It’s all guys who are 18 years and older, so we have a lot of former players from the high school team and people from the community,” said Chris Fluegel, who organizes the Wednesday night pickup games. “A lot of times, people will donate more than $5, because they want to give back.”
The group started with a few guys at the parish who wanted to get together and play basketball.
“A bunch of older guys in the parish were looking for a way to build camaraderie and fellowship with some exercise,” Fluegel said. “We have more than 50 members who show up when they can.”
When the group started seeing consistent participation each week, Fr. Lawrence Delonnay turned the games into a giving opportunity.
“We have parishioners whose son and daughter were in the Air Force, and I was trying to find something we could do to support those in the military,” Fr. Delonnay said, pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes.
That’s when the priest saw a commercial for the “Got your 6” campaign, a nationwide initiative endorsed by celebrities to provide assistance to military veterans.
The Our Lady of the Lakes version of “Got Your 6” raises money for scholarships to Our Lady of the Lakes schools for children of veterans, police officers and firefighters.
Veterans who apply for the program receive a 50 percent discount in tuition for their children, and police and fire personnel receive a 25 percent discount.
Parishioners donate $5 each Wednesday to play basketball in support of veterans at Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.When the program started, Fr. Delonnay said people were excited and ready to give.
“A couple of older vets came forward and donated money toward it,” Fr. Delonnay said. “When the financial crisis hit Waterford, a lot of patrol officers and police were cut, so we extended the program to cover police and fire.”
Fluegel said the basketball crew was excited about the idea and more than willing to donate each time they played.
“It’s been almost a year since we started making it a charity event, and there has been a lot of interest,” Fluegel said. “There are several parishioners who have been police officers or firefighters in the past, and this is a community that comes out and supports one another.”
Fr. Delonnay said the scholarship program has been a success for the school, allowing more students to receive a Catholic education and inviting more families to join the Our Lady of the Lakes community. He estimates 15 to 20 students have already benefited from the scholarships.
“It has been a real positive in getting kids to come to the school,” Fr. Delonnay said. “These families in turn are giving back to the community. People are coming forward with donations and allowing others to send their kids to Our Lady of the Lakes when they previously couldn’t.”
Aside from increasing Our Lady of the Lakes’ enrollment, Fr. Delonnay said the program has strengthened bonds among parishioners.
“I wasn’t surprised there are so many people willing to give,” Fr. Delonnay said. “We are tithing parish; we give $110,000 a year to (the Society of) St. Vincent de Paul. I think a lot of people are grateful to the service of the military, police and fire, and they want to give back.”
