Unsung Heroes

Grant County Journal
October 18, 2010
By Janet Warren
Journal Columnist
Elmer Gibson doesn’t drive anymore since he’s 91. Betty Gibson says, “It’s not like when we were younger. Now you just do what you can do.” One of the things the Gibsons can do is walk to McDonalds for a bite to eat and home again. One afternoon in September, as they were walking home, Elmer missed a curb with his walker and fell in a heap on the sidewalk. A woman driving by stopped immediately. Without taking time to park her van, she hopped out and rushed to Elmer’s aid. Another lady, traveling the opposite direction, did the same. Betty said she’s pretty sure the two women didn’t know each other. After assessing injuries, the ladies helped Elmer into the house. Betty was overcome that two strangers would come to her husband’s rescue; she forgot to get their names. If you were the unsung heroes traveling on C and 10th SW, Betty and Elmer thank you.
On October 4th, Mike and I attended a C-squad football game against Quincy. We went to support Nick Quist (#42) whom we refer to as our “adopted son,” considering how much time he spent in our home last summer. With all the attention on the Varsity football team, I figured the C-squad would be a good way to round out my “unsung heroes” column, so I took along a notebook. We went over to the bleachers in the sun where one couple was sitting. “Aha,” I thought. “Nobody is going to come and support these kids.” I asked the couple the name of their son and was told Logan Stanley. Had I lived in Ephrata longer, I would have realized Stanleys are from Quincy before they told me we were sitting on the wrong side. Ephrata fans were in the shade. So we moved, with me grumbling that I didn’t bring a coat.
I am married to a man who has to be early to everything, so there were only a few people over on the Ephrata side. Michelle Derr was there with her video camera set up; I talked to her first. She told me she videotapes every game for her son Dylan (#21). Michelle is involved with a core group of parents who attend all the games, both home and away. People began to trickle into the stands. I had time to speak to one more parent before the game started. My selection process was completely random, mostly based on clumsy navigation of the bleachers. I sat down next to Jana Christensen, mother of Troy (#57). I began to rethink my “unsung heroes” angle after talking to her. “When the C team played Selah, the Varsity team attended and cheered as a group. Afterwards, they formed a tunnel and the freshmen ran through it. There’s a camaraderie I haven’t seen in a couple of years,” said Jana. It was time for the game to start and the stands had a lot of people in them. I sat back to watch but had no idea what was going on. When Nick went in for the first time during the second quarter, I cheered. Yay, Nick. Sorry, crazy sports fans, but it really isn’t about football for me. My favorite sports are the ones my children play. My son James played football for one year in 7th grade, so football was my favorite in 1999.
Finally, half-time rolled around and I talked to some more people. First it was the multi-generational Turnbull family there to support Brice (#56). Wendy Turnbull told me her husband played football for Ephrata High School. Grandma and Grandpa were there too. Grandpa Bill actually played football for Quincy when he was in high school. I asked if he was torn on who to cheer for, but Brice’s aunt, Kendra Barnes, assured me it was Ephrata High School all the way. Kendra said, “This team builds each other up. They praise each other. This has been one of the most team-oriented, positive seasons I have seen.”
I began to talk to another mother, but she took a phone call, so I looked around for someone else to bother. To my surprise, Chris Jacobson was sitting right behind me. Before now, I’ve never lived in a town small enough where I could recognize the mayor. He told me his son Cole (#65) is on the freshman team. Mayor Jacobson said something that I had been hearing from parents all night. “This is a very talented group of kids. They have a lot of potential in not only football, but many different sports.” He also said they tend to show respect and have a sense of citizenship, and added. “ I know sports can help with that, and hopefully some of them rise to leadership positions in the community.”
I came to the conclusion that the freshmen football players are not “unsung heroes.” They are loved and supported by not only their families, but by many members in the community who sing their praises. The real heroes, however, are their parents. Michelle Derr later told me “I can’t count the miles driven to allow my kids to participate in sports and represent the community of Ephrata. If you add all the miles from all the parents that follow and support these kids…is there even a number that high?!” She also reminded me about the wives of the coaches. Michelle said it better than I can: “I talk to Dylan’s coaches a lot, saying thank you as much as I can. However, it’s the wives I feel we all should be thanking. The time their husbands are away, the extra things they are left to do; let’s not forget they are the ones sitting in the stands during a game listening to everyone say ‘why don’t they just do this or that.’ To them I give a big thank you.” Coach Mills agreed that the wives often get overlooked and wanted all of them to know how much their service is appreciated. So, Stephanie Mills, Amy Laird, Bobbi Martin, Kim Crowder, Sara Tempel, Rhonda Ross and Andrea Anderson, thank you from the community.
I found the end to my “unsung heroes” column, but not the conclusion I expected to find. When you sit on the Ephrata side of the bleachers, you can read the slogan that was chosen to grace the stadium…Community Pride. Whether it’s supporting children or spouses in their activities or rescuing an elderly man who has fallen…Community Pride says it all.
You can get in touch with Janet at justsayinephrata@yahoo.com or through Grant County Journal 754-4636.