Area pastors will play the Sassy Sisters basketball team April 29th to benefit the North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center and the Gifted Group of Grundy County. Activities will start at the Ketcham Community Center of Trenton at 1 o’clock.
Area pastors from the Trenton Area Ministerial Alliance will play the Gifted Group in a warm-up game for the pastors. Trenton R-9 Basketball Coach Jon Guthrie will coach the Gifted Group team, and Joe MacDonald is the coach for the pastors.
The pastors will then play the Sassy Sisters. Sassy Sisters Coach Cindy Guthrie explains her team is made up of local women of a certain age who play basketball for fun and fundraising.
The teams will play 1960s and 1970s-style women’s basketball. Sassy Sister Barb Spencer notes there are various rules, including no running, jumping, or stealing the ball from the opponent, unless a Sassy Sister feels like doing one of those. Shots taken under the legs are worth three points, and they can only be taken by females. The Sassy Sisters can change a rule to help the pastors maintain their religious posture. The male players have to wear at least one oven mitt.
Pastor Steve Martin says Coach Joe MacDonald has been working on recruiting some ringers for the pastors team because they have an uphill battle.
Cindy Guthrie says there will also be family fun April 29th.
Guthrie adds there will also be cheerleaders, raffle prizes donated by community members, and an auction. A concession stand will also be available.
The proceeds will go to the North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center and the Gifted Group of Grundy County.
Children’s Advocacy Center Community Outreach Coordinator Amanda White says the center’s mission is to reduce traumatic long-term effects of child abuse on children, families, and communities through advocacy and coordinated child-focuses services.
White notes there may be a copay if insurance requires it, but the center provides its services for free. The center is funded by state and federal grants and fundraisers.
The North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center is based in Trenton, but it serves 10 counties.
Guthrie says the Gifted Group is made up of individuals with special needs. Its mission is to advance the dignity, equality, and self determination of people with disabilities and to ensure the members are treated equally in the community.
The group leads its own meetings, elects its own officers, and plans educational programs and events. Brenda Thorne is the group’s advisor.
Guthrie says one educational opportunity for the Gifted Group is to have a basketball team and learn how to play basketball.
Admission is $5 per person for April 29th’s activities. Children 12 years old and younger will be admitted for free.
