Kadoka Area School teacher wins 50-50 raffle fundraiser, donates it all back

The Wall Lady Eagles may have bested the Kadoka Lady Kougars during last month's regional playoff battle; nonetheless, the Kougars were able to walk home with their heads held a little higher. This was due in part because of teammate Lavin Bendt's incredible 1,000th career rebound but more so because of the character that was shown during halftime's 50/50 raffle fundraiser in which Kadoka Area teacher, Teresa Shuck, won and donated the winnings back.
That kind gesture, which she says "everyone should do" when it comes to any 50/50 raffle fundraiser, was aimed at helping New Underwood teen, Taylor Grill.
Taylor Grill and her younger brother, Cade, were involved in a head-on collision with a semi-truck just nine days before the basketball game. Cade left unscathed but Taylor broke bones in both legs and eventually had her left arm amputated. Due to the multitude of surgeries ahead of her, Taylor's family set up a Go-Fund-Me page to help with expenses.
The Wall and Kadoka communities came together before the playoff game and set up a 50-50 raffle fundraiser to aid Taylor and her ongoing recovery process. The 50/50 fundraiser brought in over $1200.
When Shuck first heard about the accident, she felt horrible but admired "[Taylor’s] spirit and her determination to get back on the volleyball court and play again in the Fall."
Grill had played volleyball with Shuck's daughter, Becca, during the beginning of the 19-20 school year.
Shuck believes that "everyone who is a fan of high school sports, whether students or adults, will be rooting for her recovery as well."
Although the act of winning a drawing and donating it back may seem like a 'generous gift', Shuck explained that this is not the case when it comes to 50-50 drawings. "The people who bought those tickets for Taylor gave that money in hopes of helping her and her family absorb some of the costs incurred with her accident. I only contributed a fraction of the money collected, so when I gave that money back, I didn't see it as a generous gift. I saw it as letting the people in the gym give their money to Taylor because that is where they intended it to go. . . I am just glad I had the opportunity to pay it forward and help others when so many people have helped me," she continued "our community automatically steps up" when tragedy strikes. Whether that be through auctions or something else, the act of giving is something she believes finds its way back to you. 
If you would like to aid Taylor and her family, you can visit her Go-Fund-Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/w59p3a-pray-for-tay or you can send funds to First Interstate Bank, PO Box 9, Edgemont, SD 57739 under Taylor Grill Benefit account.

The Pioneer Review

221 E. Oak Street
Philip, SD 57567
Telephone: (605) 859-2516
E Mail: ads@pioneer-review.com

Sign Up For Breaking News

Stay informed on our latest news!

Manage my subscriptions

Subscribe to Newsletter feed
Comment Here