BUHS volleyball salutes the troops with special ceremony

BRAWLEY — The Brawley Union High volleyball team honored the nation’s armed forces during a special ceremony Wednesday night as part of the team’s Salute the Troops fundraiser.

The ceremony was held inside the BUHS gymnasium as a pre-game ceremony before the Wildcat’s league game against Holtville High, and featured the BUHS band, cheer team and drama department.

During the ceremony, BUHS head volleyball coach Phil Finnell shared with those in attendance the team’s effort behind their fundraiser, which helped the team create more than 400 care packages for military troops. During the summer, the team decided to create a fundraiser that supported not only them but military service men and women, as well.

As part of the fundraiser, the team created lawn decorations consisting of six patriotic stars, which were made with the help of BUHS’ Welding CTE Program instructor Frank Cervantes and were hand-painted by the volleyball team.

The team went around the Imperial Valley and asked residents for a simple donation, with no minimum or maximum asking price, for one of the lawn decorations.

Through the fundraiser from June 1 to July 4, the volleyball team placed decorations in more than 300 yards in the Valley.

On July 13, the team used part of the proceeds from the fundraiser to create and send the 400 cares packages to U.S. troops all over the world.

Since then, troops who received those packages have sent pictures and letters as a thank you to the team for its efforts.

“With the photos and all that the team undertook, we wanted to spend one night honoring our military and the Brawley community for their commitment to the armed forces,” BUHS head volleyball coach Phil Finnell said.

During Wednesday’s ceremony, a slideshow of some of the photos and letters received from the troops were shown.

BUHS volleyball players also honored former or active military members in attendance by giving them a customized camouflaged BUHS baseball cap.

In spirit of the ceremony, members from both teams held American flags during their pregame warm ups.

PHOTO VINCENT OSUNA Brawley union high school volleyball players honored former or active military members in attendance by giving them customized camouflaged Buhs baseball cap during a special ceremony held Wednesday night at the Buhs gymnasium in Brawley.

PHOTO VINCENT OSUNA Brawley union high school cheerleader elysse landy (middle, left) reads a letter she wrote to be included in a care package for military members during a special ceremony Wednesday night at the Buhs gymnasium in Brawley.

PHOTO VINCENT OSUNA Members of the Brawley union high school volleyball team hold american flags as part of a special ceremony held Wednesday night at the Buhs gymnasium in Brawley.