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POMFRET — The 12th annual Putnam Lions Volleyball Challenge fund-raiser raised more than $15,000 for the Putnam Lions Charity account which will distribute more than $30,000 to local and Lion-related causes this year including scholarships for Putnam students.
The challenge might have been postponed from February, due to heavy snow loads on the Pomfret School fieldhouse, but the fun and solid fund-raising remained, according to Bernie Gilbert, challenge chairman.
The two-day challenge involved 135 volleyball players on 19 teams.
March 26 the A and B divisions played seven hours of volleyball. The A division winner was the team sponsored by King GMC and Cadillac and captained by Danielle Rivard from Bristol. They defeated the YAMS team captained by Steve Iwanski from Dudley.
In the B division a new team that traveled from East Lyme won the B division. The team, known as Court Jesters, was captained by Jason Willard. They defeated a new team Pobco Inc. captained Mike McKeon.
One player, Kevin Leahy of Chepachet, brought in a record $1,230 in pledges. He earned $100 in gift cards to the Courthouse Bar & Grille. Steve Robert of the YAMS brought in $300 in pledges and earned a personal DVD player.
March 27 11 teams participated in the Corporate Division to win the traveling trophy. In the final the team of Nextgen Security beat the defending champs Putnam Recreation Volleyball.
The winning team consisted of: Michelle Anderson, Ashley Hayes, Mike McKeon, Corey Burke and Marcia Williams. They were inspired to win for the captain of the team and sponsor Kevin Kosacka who was unable to make the event this year. Kevin is a long-time sponsor and player in this event and was missed by all, Gilbert said.. The second place team consisted of the following players, Tim Sinko, Teresa Hanlon, Barbara Gomez, Jorge Gomez, Christian Smutnick and Tracy Chicoine. Other teams participating were Kenyon Industries, Frito Lay, Gerardi Insurance team 1 & 2, Putnam High School, Longmeadow Automotive, Putnam Bank, Bank of America and Citizens National Bank.
Deb Pratt of the Putnam High team brought in the most pledges for this event with $400 in pledges which earned her $100 in gift cards to the Courthouse Bar & Grille in Putnam. Deb is a member of the Putnam Lions Club. There was one other player that brought in over $300 in pledges, Matt Gilbert, who earned $100 in gift cards to J.D. Cooper’s in Putnam.
Gilbert said all players enjoyed free food, drinks and a T-Shirt listing all of the Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsors. Players that brought in pledges earned gift cards to the Courthouse Bar & Grille. The referees for this event were from the Putnam High School women’s volleyball team.