Rivals United campaign raises $32,000

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

For the second year in a row, Lincolnview and Crestview schools have used their traditional rivalry to benefit the United Way of Van Wert County.

Last year, the two schools initiated the Rivals United campaign as a friendly competition to see which school district could raise the most money each year during its United Way campaign. The event culminated this past weekend during varsity girls’ and boys’ basketball games between the two schools.

Moreover, while Crestview won both basketball games, it was Lincolnview that won the Rivals United competition for the second year in a row, with both schools raising an impressive total of $32,840.19 to benefit United Way agencies in Van Wert County.

Breakdown for this year’s competition is as follows:

• T-shirt sales — $5,433 for Lincolnview and $3,920 for Crestview.
• Dash for Cash event — $3,638 for Lincolnview and $2,826 for Crestview

• FFA fundraising — $204 for Lincolnview and $219 for Crestview
• Contests — None for Lincolnview and $700 for Crestview
• Student events — $5,367 for Lincolnview and $5,104.23 for Crestview.
• Totals — $17,736.39 for Lincolnview and $15,103.80 for Crestview

Organizers at both schools included Deb Stetler, Mimi Wreath, Dave Bowen, Brad Mendenhall, and Mike Biro.

Sponsors included Wilkinson’s Printing, Cindy Harting with Convoy Tastee Freeze for sponsoring and donating to the Rivals United mini-basketballs, Vantage Career Center’s Industrial Mechanics and Auto Body classes for creating the traveling trophy, Northwest Ohio Screenprinting/Welch Trophy for creating the 734 Rivals United t-shirts, and First Financial Bank, Kulwicki-Hilton Insurance and State Farm Insurance agent Tisha Fast for sponsoring the Granny Shoot-Out event.

United Way Board of Directors members also volunteered during a number of Rivals United events.

Of course, while Lincolnview gets to take home the traveling trophy for the second year in a row, the big winner is all the United Way member agencies, which will receive the more than $32,000 the Rivals United campaign raised in its second year.