Scrimmage raises money for two-year old with diabetes

 GRISWOLD — The Griswold girls basketball team once again took part in the annual Iowa Hall of Pride scrimmage Friday night when they faced the Stanton Viqueens.

While Griswold might have gotten the better end of the score in the scrimmage, the real winner was one young boy and his family.

“It’s always fun to help out a community member,” Griswold girls’ basketball coach and high school teacher Jeff Koenck said.

The service project this year was titled “Hoops For Hounds.” It was a benefit for Markus Palmer, a two-year old from Griswold, who suffers from Type 1 diabetes.

During halftime of the varsity scrimmage, Koenck, his team and students from his current events class presented Palmer and his family with a $4,000 check, money raised  during the week by both Griswold and Stanton High School.

In addition to the check, they also presented Palmer’s family with a collar and leash for Leo, a new diabetic alert dog for Markus.

“That’s really what they needed the money for, but we also wanted to spread awareness about Type 1 diabetes,” Koenck said. “People sometimes misunderstand that there’s not a cure. On top of the dog, there’s a lot of medical supplies and medical expenses that the family incurs.”

According to the American Diabetes Association, Type 1 diabetes, commonly known as juvenile diabetes, is diagnosed in children and young adults. Only five percent of people with diabetes have this type. In Type 1 diabetes, the body cannot produce insulin, which is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life, according to the ADA. 

This is the third year Griswold has done the Hall of Pride Challenge. 

Last year, the theme was Caps for Kids as they raised money for BrookLynne Peterson, who had been diagnosed with Wilms’ Tumor a couple months prior. Griswold was the top service award winner for the service project as they received $1,000 from the Iowa Hall of Pride.

With it being the third year Griswold has done the Hall of Pride scrimmage, Koenck said people come to him with ideas. There wasn’t much difference between Peterson last year and Palmer this year. They got to know Markus on a much more personal level.

“He came to class and we were able to get to know him,” Koenck said.

Koenck’s current events class picks the idea in September, starts researching around October and brainstorm on ideas.

“They don’t look at it as an assignment, they look at it as ‘hey, we’re getting involved,’” Koenck said.

Koenck’s class handles everything, from setting up the fundraisers to notifying local media through press releases and ads.

“My students do an awesome job of coming up with fundraising ideas and getting the word out, trying to spread as much publicity and awareness as possible,” Koenck said.