| 4/16/2009 10:35:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| CALVILLO FUNDRAISER — This Sunday, April 19, a unique basketball charity event will help raise money for the Calvillo Family Memorial Fund. A basketball game will be played between members of the St. Joseph’s Catholic School, along with some Fort Atkinson community members, and players from the UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team. Bailey Calvillo, who played for St. Joseph’s, and his father, Alan, were killed in a two-vehicle crash Feb. 7. The game will be played at 5 p.m. at Fort Atkinson High School. Pictured above, Warhawk basketball players Chris Vines, left, and Dustin Mitchell, right, stare down St. Joe’s players Ethan Foerster and Sam Hess (on Foerster’s shoulders) to show how serious they are about the big game. — Daily Union photo by Jeff Seisser. |
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St. Joe's to play UW-W at benefit
By Jeff Seisser
Union sports editor
David and Goliath.
Jack and the Beanstalk.
Underdogs vs. Favorites.
Any way you look at it, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's basketball team's showdown with St. Joseph's Catholic School boys' seventh- and eighth-grade squad is a mismatch on paper.
In reality, though, this Sunday's game will be a fun time for all as the special event raises money for the Calvillo Family Memorial Fund.
The brainchild of Warhawks men's basketball coach Pat Miller and St. Joseph's boys' basketball coaches Dan Roloff and Steve Bakken, the fundraiser was contrived following the tragic deaths of Fort Atkinson father and son Alan and Bailey Calvillo.
The Calvillos died Feb. 7 by an alleged drunken driver while they were on their way to a Milwaukee Bucks game.
The basketball game will be played at 5 p.m. at Fort Atkinson High School. Other activities include a silent auction and a dunk contest. Admission is free; however, donations will be accepted from persons attending what is expected to be a fun-filled evening remembering Alan and Bailey, a student and basketball player at St. Joseph's.
"UW-Eau Claire plays a similar game during the course of the season and had already talked with (St. Joe's coach) Dan Roloff about it with his group - even prior to the accident - as a fundraiser," said Miller. "And then once the accident occurred, we said together, 'let's do this and make it a fundraiser for the family memorial fund.'"
"It's been a very difficult thing for the kids, at their young age, to grasp what actually happened," said Roloff, who coaches the St. Joe's and traveling teams. "Being that it happened in the middle of the season made it even more difficult, almost putting a sour taste on the end of a good season.
"This is really going to give us a chance to get the kids together and do something positive while bringing basketball back into the mix. Not to forget, but remember (Bailey) in a good way," added Roloff.
Miller also knew the Calvillos.
"I think it's going to be an emotional event, but hopefully it will be a positive experience for the kids," said Miller. "The amount of community support that we've gotten has been great, not only from Fort Atkinson, but also Jefferson and Whitewater.
"I think something like this, even people who didn't know the family have a tremendous amount of empathy for what they're going through and are more than willing to help out any way they can."
Alan was involved in many youth sports around the community, while Bailey played for the St. Joe's fifth- and sixth-grade team and the sixth-grade traveling team.
Nearly all the Warhawk college-aged players who were members on the 2008-09 team that finished 23-5 will participate in Sunday's game, along with a possible appearance by University of Wisconsin Badgers senior Joe Krabbenhoft.
What the fans will be treated to is anybody's guess.
"We want to make it a fun event," said Miller. "What we want is to have our guys have positive interaction with the kids to make it fun, but there also will be times where we'll block their shots into the stands and do some dunks."
"I think they're a little unsure of what to expect, but I think they're absolutely fired up to play," said Roloff. "It's going to be a great atmosphere and I know the kids are going to have a blast."
Miller has organized things from the UW-Whitewater side, while Roloff, Steve Bakken and Todd Tesch have helped coordinate the event for St. Joseph's.
Performing before the game will be the Milwaukee Bucks acrobatic team, and there will be an appearance by Bucks mascot Bango from 4:30 to 5 p.m.
Numerous items ranging from autographed sports memorabilia - including a Prince Fielder-signed bat, an autographed Ryan Braun jersey, Milwaukee Brewers tickets - outdoor grills, a Fireside Dinner Theatre package, Noah's Ark tickets, a handmade quilt, pizza for a year, a weekend spa package, framed artwork, a bicycle and more will be available to bid on during the silent auction. Also, Whitewater carpenter Rod Berg has constructed a Fort Atkinson Blackhawks chest that will be up for bid.
The Fort Atkinson Students Against Drunk Driving will lend a hand with selling raffle tickets Sunday, as will some students from UW-Whitewater.
"What we really need to do is remember how great of a kid Bailey was, and what a great dad Alan was," Roloff said, encouraging the public to attend. "It's a tragedy that's affected us all, but it's also a tragedy that we can make each of our lives better because of this experience."
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