By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
The Plainwell girls basketball program is on a mission to make Christmas a little merrier for some local families.
And you can help.
The Trojans’ home opener against Three Rivers on Tuesday, Dec. 10, will be the Holiday Giveback Game, with fans able to donate money to go toward sponsoring families for Christmas.
Can’t make the game? You can also donate at: https://plainwell.revtrak.net/high-school/High-School-Donations/HS-Athletics-Donations/#/v/hs-girls-basketball-holiday-give-back-donations.
Mark Stephenson started the Holiday Giveback event when he took over as Plainwell varsity girls head coach in 2021.
“While I was the girls varsity basketball coach at Galesburg-Augusta—I think it was in 2012—my wife and I, with the help of the coaching staff, started The Holiday Giveback for the program,” Stephenson said. “I wanted to have the girls in our program be involved in something that caused them to engage in something selfless for their community.
“Providing a complete Christmas for a family—gifts and Christmas dinner—was a great way to do that. And when I became the girls varsity basketball coach at Plainwell, one of the first things we put in place was The Holiday Giveback.”
While Stephenson organizes the event, his goal is to have his players be as involved as possible.
“The girls in our program help in every aspect of the Giveback. They raise money, give money and do the shopping and wrapping,” Stephenson said. “They girls never know the names of any of the people we are helping, just the ages and needs.
“The program picks a day, and we all go shopping together. We split our girls up into groups, give each group a child and a budget and they do the shopping for their child. It gives it a more personal feel.”
And while the players pick out the gifts to purchase, they are given some guidance during the process.
“The girls and their families have become more and more engaged every year,” Stephenson said. “They love doing the shopping and they do a great job at it. But we do have a lot of lessons in budgeting along the way. And as a bonus, it’s a great team-bonding experience.”
Stephenson appreciates the fact that The Holiday Giveback not only supports local families, but also serves as a learning opportunity for the players.
“We stress to our girls how blessed we are and what an opportunity we have to be a blessing to others without seeking any recognition,” he said. “The stress that many parents feel around Christmas because they don’t have the means to provide the Christmas that they so desire to give their children is something many of us have never had to experience. The reasons behind it are irrelevant. They need a helping hand.
“We can do that as a program and community. We can help these parents take a breath and be able to just enjoy the Christmas season.”
One hundred percent of the money collected will go directly toward helping families.
“We typically will supply a family with whatever they need and whatever money we have left goes to other families in our community through gift cards,” Stephenson said. “So, we are able to bless four-to-six families every Christmas.
“Our goal is always to raise as much money as possible. None of it stays with us, so the more money we get the more families we can help.”
The ultimate goal is to consistently bring in enough money to fully support three families in addition to helping a handful of others with gift cards.
“If you are able to give, please be a giver through The Holiday Giveback this Christmas,” Stephenson said.
As an added attraction, the game with Three Rivers on Dec. 10 is scheduled to be the first game in the district’s new field house.
“It should be a lot of fun,” Stephenson said.
