SIMON KENTON HIGH SCHOOL PIONEER VOLLEYBALL: Dig for Depew Memorial Celbrates Brittany and SK Special Ed

Oh what a night! What occurred at SK tonight is exactly why I’m daggone proud to be a part of the Southern Kenton County/Independence Community, a SK Alumnus and a parent of a SK student and teacher. The community, coming out and taking the time to remember Brittany Depew’s impact on the community while raising funds for SK Special Education, was a goose bump raising experience for everyone at the Joe tonight.

Kaitlin Murray and Megan Leggett, two of Brittany’s best friends, did an awesome job of sharing from the heart what SK meant to Brittany and what Brittany meant to the SK Community. While Brittany Depew became a national media darling, she was first our queen and her legacy and spirit were celebrated tonight at our school. I’ll never forget the Dig For Depew event last year and Brittany grabbing ahold of Kaitlin’s arm while Kaitlin told Brittany’s story. Truly just a special moment that you’ll never forget if you were there.

Since the event was meant to raise funds for SK Special Ed students, the students from the SK Adaptive Guard delivered a performance to the crowd that I can’t find the words for. It just made me feel good to get to share in the night and watch the joy on their faces of getting to perform for the crowd. The Guard performed a routine with their flags that brought the house down.

I can’t say enough about the student body’s support of the game. Lead cheerleaders Chris Hicks, Grant Vercheak and Kyle Heflin for leading a huge contingent of SK students in cheering for their team. They showed how it is done with their stellar performance tonight that earned them the Novacare 7^th Man Award and a lovely Novacare/SK T-shirt.

Thank you to so many who helped this night be a special one. First, Karen and Andy Murray of Murray Promotions for a nice donation to the t-shirt cause, Kaitlin and Megan for your inspiring words, the SK Special Ed Department for delivering an amazing performance honoring Brittany, SK Volleyball program for selling t-shirts and getting the support out for tonight, all of the volleyball parents who donated to the baskets and provided baked goods, SK Football and Cheerleaders for also donating baskets, the committee of Tricia Mann, Mary Jo Schmiade and Mischelle Figgins and the Boosters who helped pull everything together, and everyone who donated in some way. Finally and most importantly, we thank Brittany’s family who supported this celebration tonight.

That arm lock that Brittany put on Kaitlin and Brittany’s tears of pure joy is a memory that our community needs to make sure goes on for a very long time. Brittany was celebrated tonight, her student buddies delivered an awesome performance and we raised money that will allow these students to participate on field trips etc. that they would not have likely been able to enjoy.

Thanks SK Community, you are the best!

Pictures of tonight’s event can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10202989954482300.1073741916.1007423308&type=1&l=684e165d72

Brittany, you were celebrated tonight.