Twins Lara and Jenna Akers didn't win Thursday night's basketball game but they won serving others in the Danville community on Friday.
Sometimes I just need something to brighten a day filled with stress and anxiety — or even just something to remind me why I have been so lucky to write and talk about sports for over 45 years now. Today I found two great examples.
I went to Bardstown Thursday night and watched host Bethlehem, one of the state’s top five teams for sure, beat Danville in the All “A” Classic. Two of Danville’s key players are senior twins Jenna and Lara Akers. The defeat crushed them because their goal was to win the All “A” state championship.
Then I get up today and found this message from a few days ago on the Danville Schools Facebook page from Jenna Akers:
“This past November, Lara and I decided to make a flyer and collect donations for The Salvation Army Food Bank. While the pandemic and weather have had a huge impact on the donations we have received, we would like to ask for your help in growing our food sources,” Lara writer.
“This Friday as you come to DHS, we would greatly appreciate it if you brought in any canned food items that you are willing to donate to the food bank. Even one canned good would make a difference and help with food insecurity in our community. With over a hundred teachers and staff members in our school system can you imagine how one hundred canned goods would help our families in need.
“We will be at school on Friday collecting any donations that you are willing to give. Thank you for helping us feed families and keep their pantries full.
Stay healthy, Jenna and Lara Akers.”
How could it not make you feel better that two student-athletes had such a refreshing perspective on life and wanted to help others and were being productive community members rather than moping over a bitter loss?
My second bit of inspiration came from a tweet from Scott Brown of YourSportsEdge. Brown covers western Kentucky sports and it seems like the YourSportsEdge is out all the time.
But this nugget of information he posted on Twitter Thursday night certainly impressed me:
“Most impressive part of Union County’s 68-54 win at Trigg County tonight? 10 minutes after the game is over, Union coach Quaid Girten picked up every bit of trash left on his side of the gym’s seating area and threw it away. Didn’t leave it for someone else to do. Little things.”
Say amen and give Quaid Girten a pat on the back — a virtual pat since we have to social distance. But what a great example to set for others with such a selfless task that I am sure he had no idea someone like Brown would even notice.
So the next time I get to feeling a bit sorry for myself over pandemic restrictions, the weather, a game, or anything else, I am going to think back to what great examples two Danville basketball players and a Union County coach set for us all.
