LA VISTA, Neb. (KMTV) – Neighbors got active Saturday morning, playing against each other while working toward the same goal: helping pay down the $175,000 student lunch debt shared across Sarpy County school districts.
- Sarpy County pickleball tournament raised $19,000 to help pay down $175,000 student lunch debt across local school districts
- 25% of students in some county communities face food insecurity, with lunch debt increasing by nearly $30,000 in the past year
- 16 teams participated in the fundraiser, though organizers still seek donations to reach their $25,000 goal
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Organizations and businesses across the metro teamed up to play pickleball Saturday morning, but not just for fun. These community members wanted to make sure students in local communities don't miss a meal.
Neighbors got active Saturday morning, playing against each other while working toward the same goal: helping pay down the $175,000 student lunch debt shared across Sarpy County school districts.
"I'm just overwhelmed with joy that we had so many leaders step up to help support this wonderful cause," said Helen Kort, one of the organizers for the fundraiser.
In some communities in the county, 25% of students face food insecurity. Lunch debt increased by nearly $30,000 in the past year.
Kyle Percifield, vice president of Sarpy County Fraternal Order Police Lodge Number 3, says they stepped up to sponsor the event because it's important that kids don't go hungry.
"We want to see them succeed and be well, and this is one of the easy first steps so they don't have to stress about it, and parents don't have to stress about how their kids are going to eat," Percifield said.
The event had 16 teams and raised $19,000, which will be distributed to schools in the county. Kort says the goal was to raise $25,000, so neighbors can still make donations to help students. For more information on donating click here.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
