The Ohio Valley Hornets AAU Basketball Club held a Free Throw Shoot-A-Thon at Toronto High School on May 2. The event was named “Ballin’ for a Cure” and was sponsored by Holiday Lanes/Strikers Sports Bar, Theo Yannis in Weirton, and the Target Shop in Steubenville. The Basketball Hornets of the AAU are made up of students from Jefferson, Belmont, and Harrison Counties, including students from Harrison Central. The Hornets are coached by Preston Stul (boys) and Paul Buffington (girls) with assistants Corey Elliott and Rae Ann Sowers.
“The AAU Hornets basketball team has been playing travel basketball since 2021,” said Coach Preston Stul. “One thing that we like to always mention is that we are in a position to help with any cause, and we feel blessed to be in that position. One of our goals is to help make a difference in the surrounding communities.”
The funds raised by the Hornets came through the solicitation of pledges by the basketball players. The pledge commitment was that the player would receive 50 cents per foul shot made. While pledges are still coming in, to date the group has raised over $1,100. One hundred percent of the funds raised will support free mammograms through the West Virginia Breast Health Initiative. All of the money raised by the club will be used locally.
“In addition to the foul shots, the event held a learning experience for the players,” said Coach Preston Stul. “There were presentations from survivors of breast cancer. The survivors also emphasized the importance of self-checking.”
Anyone interested in making a donation to this worthy cause or would like to purchase one of the special “Ballin’ for a Cure” tee shirts, please reach out to Coach Buff at 304-794-9025 or Coach Stull at 740-491-4581. You can also find and like us at Facebook at Ohio Valley Hornets.
