HOW TO HELP
There are two ways to donate:
ONLINE: Click here to donate online
IN PERSON: Stop by any local US Bank branch and contribute to the "Chelsea's Croatian Archery Fund"
When Hamilton resident Chelsea Obrebski qualified for a spot on the USA archery team to compete in the World Archery Championships in August, she received only a uniform for the event, hosted this August in Zagreb, Croatia.
Obrebski, a Hamilton High School graduate and current senior at Miami University Hamilton, must pay for everything else — her round-trip plane ticket, hotel accommodations, food, transportation and even event registration, which total nearly $3,000.
“I want to compete in nationals to represent not only my state, but my country,” Obrebski said. “This is my first chance to go abroad for archery.”
Obrebski first developed her interest in archery at Girl Scout camp; soon after, she joined a local Ohio “Robinhoods” team. She is currently a part of the Cincinnati Junior Olympic Team, which practices during the winter at the National Guard Armory in Fairfield and in her coach’s Liberty Twp. backyard during the summer months.
Last year, Obrebski attended a national field tournament in Texas, which made her eligible to shoot again for a spot on the world team. This past May, she returned to Texas and qualified.
“I just thought it would be exciting to do something like this and be a part of something so exciting and big … so I tried out and I made it,” Obrebski said.
“Chelsea is one of the hardest working students that I have ever worked with,” said Debora Fackey, a science laboratory coordinator at Miami Hamilton. “She has always put forth 110 percent effort in everything that she does.”
Obrebski first began volunteering at Miami Hamilton’s conservatory when she was 15 years old. Now, as a senior double majoring in botany and environmental science, she is a student employee at the conservatory, a 7,000-square-foot multi-use facility that houses the university’s collection of exotic plants.
When Fackey learned that Obrebski’s trip would have to be self-funded, she set up an online fundraiser to help raise funds to send both Obrebski and her mother to Croatia for the World Archery Championships.
“I thought it would be really nice for her to have a support system with her on this trip,” Fackey said.
In addition to the online fundraising site, Fackey has opened an account at US Bank, where individuals can contribute to Obrebski’s trip expenses.
“My mom is my travel buddy, and this would be something really special, because she’s so supportive of me, and we always have a good time,” said Obrebski, who lives in Lindenwald. “It’s always a bonding experience when we do things together.”
About the Author