Staff writer
For many people, sports is all about winning, but Goessel High School volleyball coach Crysta Guhr was recognized Feb. 12 for taking teamwork to a higher level. USD 411 Principal Scott Boden honored Guhr at halftime of a Goessel High School basketball game last week for her efforts in organizing a successful fundraising event for a Goessel student and her mother who continue to face debilitating injuries incurred from a car wreck in August 2012.
“I nominated Crysta for the Spirit of Sport award from the Kansas State High School Activities Association because what she did shows what sports are really supposed to be about,” Boden said. “She brought together competitive volleyball teams from three different schools that all had some connection to this family, and together they raised a significant amount of money needed for medical expenses.”
Guhr organized a servathon where volleyball players from Goessel, Moundridge, and Sedgwick Junior and Senior High Schools collected monetary pledges for each good serve they made out of 100.
“Our goal was to raise $5,000,” Guhr said. “We exceeded that by far. Everybody stepped up, even the players from the other communities. I didn’t expect the girls to go over and beyond and even contribute their own money. It was just an amazing experience. They all really came together.”
Boden said that even though Guhr did not receive the top award from the state, her nomination was a reflection of the significant impact money raised made in the lives of the accident victims.
“Sometimes we get caught up in the excitement of winning and losing,” he said. “But what Crysta did shows how important it is for communities to come together through sports and support each other.”
Guhr is the head volleyball coach and high school English teacher at Goessel. She said members on her team were close to the accident victims and motivated her to get involved in providing an avenue for all to help in some way through the fundraiser.