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Volley for the Cure today at Lakota West

Lakota West student Greg Osinski and his aid of 11 years, Darren Walters, displays Tuesday, Sept 7, 2010 in West Chester, Ohio the shirt Osinski created for the state-wide Volley For the Cure charity event. Osinski created the design last year in a computer fine arts class at the school and had his design chosen for the state-wide event.

Gary Stelzer/Staff photographer Lakota West student Greg Osinski and his aid of 11 years, Darren Walters, displays Tuesday, Sept 7, 2010 in West Chester, Ohio the shirt Osinski created for the state-wide Volley For the Cure charity event. Osinski created the design last year in a computer fine arts class at the school and had his design chosen for the state-wide event.

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By Lindsey Hilty, Staff Writer Updated 9:55 AM Thursday, September 9, 2010

WEST CHESTER TWP. — As volley ball teams across Ohio play games to raise money for breast cancer research, fans and athletes will be wearing a shirt designed by a Lakota West student.

Greg Osinski, 21, had no idea his project in a computer fine arts class would appear on Volley for the Cure shirts statewide.

“At first I was shocked,” he said. “But, now I’ve become honored that they picked my design out of everybody’s.”

Osinski, who has had muscular dystrophy since birth, has been attending school post graduation through a state continuing education program per his individual education plan. He designed the shirt by instructing his aide of 11 years, Darren Walters, what to create on the computer. His 30 classmates’ designs also were entered into the competition, and Walters said the applicants essentially were anonymous to judges.

“Everything we did was his idea,” Walters said. “I think it’s a real honor, honestly — the fact that he’s representing the whole state of Ohio.”

Osinski will be honored today, Sept. 9, when the Lakota West volleyball team takes on Oak Hills in the annual Volley For the Cure event to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Last year, the team raised more than $10,000 and the girls helped educate the school community and raised awareness by selling 1,800 fan shirts.

“This year we hope to improve on these efforts,” Coach Tracey Kornau said.

Shirts will be on sale for $5 at all home volleyball games and are sold during lunches at the school.

The freshman team plays at 4:30 p.m., with the junior varsity match at 5:30 p.m., a faculty match at 6:30 p.m. and the varsity match at 7:30 p.m. at Lakota West High School.

Raffles, split the pot, silent auctions, sports memorabilia auctions, and games will be held before, during, and after the matches, and food will be available.

The teams will be honoring people affected by breast cancer by placing their names on individual volleyballs that will be displayed on the Main Street hallway of Lakota West High School.

Local survivors and families of those who have died due to breast cancer are invited. If you, or someone you know who has been affected by breast cancer would like to attend, contact Jody Googins at jody. googins@lakotaonline.com for complimentary tickets and pink Volley for the Cure T-shirts.

The goal is to attract 700 fans to the match, which also will have raffles and auctions of donated items from local businesses.

“Our girls are making a positive impact on our community,” Kornau said. “They are learning skills that will help them in life such as leadership skills, marketing skills and time management skills. Breast cancer affects one in eight women. Our hope is for a cure. Later in life when they are married with daughters, we want their daughter to say ‘Why did you wear pink? No one dies from that anymore.’ Just as my children have no idea what polio and small pox are.”

East takes on the cure and more

Lakota East High School will be hopping Thursday nights with activities for two fundraisers and a football game.

East is host to the Ohio Sports Net Game of the Week tonight as they take on the Lancers from LaSalle. A student pep rally is set for 6 p.m. and kickoff for the televised game is 7 p.m.

Operation Gratitude

The Community Foundation and Youth in Philanthropy will be collecting care package items and donations at the gate for troops overseas.

For those who can’t make it to the game, a UPS truck will be parked at the Voice of America Shopping Center at Tylersville and Cox roads from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Items needed include used video games and systems, iPods, cereal, web cams, disposable cameras, pre-paid phone cards, battery-operated minifans, socks, board games and snack food. For a full list, visit www.operationgratitude .com.

“This is a great opportunity to share with our students how important it is to support our men and women in uniform,” East Principal Keith Kline said in an e-mail announcement.

Thunderhawks for the cure

All Lakota East athletes will participate in raising awareness for breast cancer this year alongside the volley ball team. The kick-off fundraising event for the Susan G. Komen Foundation will be at the football game tonight.

“Assuming responsibility for service to your community is a valuable lesson for our students athletes and coaches to be involved in,” East Athletic Director Richard Bryant said. “I personally would like to make the field, court, or course an extension of the classroom. Our student athletes continue to learn and grow as individuals because of supporting causes like the Komen Foundation.”

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