Knowing that members of the Bridgeport High School football team and the cheerleading squad are departing the school via bus soon isn’t necessarily something unique. However, the fact that they’ll be departing Thursday morning from the school when there’s no game on the schedule is a little bit unusual.

 

For those alarmed, don’t be. Rather, the fact that the senior members of the Indians football team along with the entire cheer squad is leaving at 9 a.m. tomorrow is a good thing – it’s a real good thing.

 

The players, the cheerleaders and football Coach Josh Nicewarner and cheerleading Coach Emilee Stout along with a handful of others are heading a bit north tomorrow for the best of reasons. The group is making the trip to West Virginia University’s Children’s Hospital to make a check presentation on behalf of Bridgeport High School and the community as part of the “The Q for Kids Radiothon.”

 

The “radiothon” is a two-day event held by Morgantown’s WVAQ that benefits WVU’s Children’s Hospital. Taking part in it was something Nicewarner said was struck up by Travis Jones, the radio voice of the Bridgeport Indians who is involved in the same network of radio stations that WVAQ fall under. And once the idea came into play, everyone was all in.

 

“So many times everyone is focused on winning and losing, but this trip is bigger than that. It’s really about everything,” said Nicewarner. “These kids have success athletically and academically and they’ve been fortunate in their lives. I think they know that and I kind of am trying to and at the same time just trying to let things happen as far as any type of lesson these boys may get from this simply by seeing the impact that they can have by helping others.”

 

Funds raised go toward helping at the medical facility. And Stout, like Nicewarner, believe the children and the hospital aren’t going to be the only beneficiaries.

 

“This is something I hope, and am certain they will, learn from. By doing something simple and being there for children less fortunate, be it health reasons or any other reason, is a great life lesson,” said Stout. “I don’t want the girls doing there thinking this is for a pat on the back. This isn’t a performance that we’re going to. This is something way more important than that. This is bigger than sports.”

 

The representatives from Bridgeport High School won’t be going empty handed. Nicewarner said they will be presenting a check for $1,500. The money was raised by individual one-day collections by the BHS football team and the cheerleaders.

 

During the Indians’ football game Oct. 30 with Fairmont Senior, the cheerleaders went through the crowd and collected loose change from those in attendance or any money that anyone wanted to donate. On Oct. 21, the football team did the same thing at the Bridgeport Middle School regular season finale.

 

“One again, and I know I’m biased, but things like this proves to me why I believe this community is the greatest place to live. I wasn’t like we went out and had people writing out hundreds of dollars in checks. We had us and the cheerleaders simply asking people to give whatever they could spare and we raised that much money in a really quick fashion.”

 

Nicewarner said the only downside for him is that due to having just one bus that only the senior football players can go. However, he said he is going to look into making this an annual event in order to allow all the players to get to take part in the experience of giving.

 

“I hope to get with Travis and Emilee and hopefully not only making this something we do every year, but something we can expand,” said Nicewarner. “There’s nothing but an upside to this.”

 

The WVU Children’s Hospital is part of Ruby Memorial Hospital. It is situated on the 6th floor of the facility and has more than 115 rooms. Those rooms are usually at capacity.

 

Editor's Note: Photos by www.benqueenphotography.com.