[StBernard] (no subject)

[Westley Annis]

July 18, 2006
Lebanon, Ohio
Volunteering in Louisiana has a big impact on team

By Melissa J. Phillips
Star correspondent

The Lebanon Tigers football team just finished one of the toughest, most
physically exhausting weeks that it's likely to have this year.
  
It had nothing to do with the gridiron -- and everything to do with
compassion.

Team members worked long hours in the summer heat of Louisiana, enduring the
smell, muck and trash left behind in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Enduring the sweat and heat was all worthwhile when they saw the gratitude
of the people they were helping.

"It was a wonderful experience," said Lebanon coach Kent Wright. "I think
(the team) realizes that most of our problems are pretty small compared to
what these people are going through.

"Homeowners would come to us, and some would break down and cry as soon as
we pulled up. They just wanted to tell the kids how much they appreciated
them. I think it really motivated them and gave them a sense of
accomplishment to be able to do something to help out so many people. They
sure worked hard."

The Tigers traveled last week to Chalmette, La., a suburb of New Orleans, to
help clean out some of the homes that had been nearly destroyed by Hurricane
Katrina nearly a year ago.
"Going into the homes was a very eye-opening experience for us," Wright
said. "A lot of people don't know this, but there was also an oil spill down
there as well. The houses were covered with oil. Floors were wet and muddy
underneath the oil."

Before leaving on their mission, Wright had set a goal of completing 15
houses during the stay. He chose 15 because that's how many games the team
would have to play to win a state championship. Reaching that goal in
Louisiana wouldn't be easy, though, as their tasks included removing nearly
everything from the homes, leaving only bathtubs and toilets behind.

"We went in and cleaned everything out," said Wright of his team, which
worked 10-12 hour days. "Refrigerators, we found out, were a huge deal.
People had meat and food in them for about a year now. Any time you'd open a
refrigerator, we'd have people (get sick). There wasn't a day that people
didn't (get sick) because of the smell."
Even so, the Tigers met their goal

"We got 15 houses done," said senior lineman Kreg Hunter. "On a large scale,
that's not a lot. But that's still 15 families and people that we've helped,
and it wouldn't have gotten done if it wasn't for us."

All of which made an impact on the team.

"It's definitely brought us together," said senior linebacker Travis King.
"Working the long hours in the heat, we're more of a team."

So, Wright said, the mission had to be counted a success. The players not
only grew as a team, but also as individuals. They learned a lot from their
experience -- especially not to take things for granted.

"We opened their eyes, and they were very surprised by the conditions,"
Wright said. "They never dreamed that something could be so bad. (They have)
a different perspective from when they left-- no matter what you have, it
could be taken away. It's always good to give back and be appreciative of
what you have."