On Saturday, July 13, the football field at Hollister High School was filled with enthusiastic young athletes busy improving their football skills while appreciative families and friends looked on. Kansas City Chiefs players Nick Bolton and Trent McDuffie joined local volunteers and area coaches for the fun and inspirational morning, hosted by Hogtown Memorabilia with assistance from local sponsoring businesses, organizations and individuals.
“There has been some great community support here, including Hollister school staff,” said Kenny Gavin of Hogtown Memorabilia. Daniel Koren of title sponsor Branson Springfield Roof Company agreed, saying, “We’re thankful to be able to join with others in the community and help provide this opportunity.”
Divided into age categories, campers spent the morning rotating to different stations to focus on skills such as defensive moves or running patterns to catch passes. Bolton and McGuffie moved around to the various stations actively engaging with the youth, demonstrating techniques and throwing passes. “I’m happy to be able to help encourage young people through camps like this,” said Nick Bolton.
Generous sponsors helped keep the camp fee manageable and help fund scholarships for deserving youth whose families could not afford to send them. Young participants were proud of their camp T-shirts, included with registration, and were eagerly looking forward to the meet and greet and photo opportunities with the Chiefs players following the learning and practice sessions. Many attendees were also sporting new shirts or swag from the Chiefs tent. Hollister High School athletes did a great job hosting the concession stand and other necessary support duties, and law enforcement and Hollister resource officers were also on hand to encourage participants and ensure a safe environment.
Parents commenting at the event or via social media were unanimous in saying their kids had a wonderful experience. “This was the highlight of his year; he’s been looking forward to it all summer,” said one mom of her son, an area middle-school athlete.
The 240 campers in attendance included approximately 100 from Boys & Girls Clubs of the Ozarks, which offered a special Club membership this summer including a sponsorship for the camp. This was a winning situation for busy working parents who need a safe, fun and educational environment for their children while school is out for the summer, and several expressed their appreciation.
Gavin said he is looking forward to partnering with the supportive Branson/Hollister and surrounding communities for more events in the future. Visit Hogtown Memorabilia on Facebook or at https://hogtownmemorabilia.com.
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