National Guard brings in shooting contest and prizes

Matt Unrau

Dozens of basketballs bounced across the gym floor as children ten deep stood in line on both sides of the Plains High School basketball court waiting to shoot free throws and half court shots.

With each miss the contestant would cringe in brief anguish and with each make the entire gym would ooh and aahh in congratulations.

It was the second year in a row that the Plains High School Cheerleading squad brought in the Montana National Guard for the shooting contest and the result was a court full of children having fun.

“It was like one giant family night. It was so much fun. Everyone was having fun…that’s what it is about, everyone having a good time,” says Cheerleading Supervisor Suzy Vonheeder.

The cheerleaders are in charge of the halftime entertainment for the home basketball games and are famous for their cake raffles, but it was last year when Vonheeder brainstormed with Sgt. First Class Tavia Syme of the National Guard and came up with the idea of a shooting contest.

Sgt. Syme is the principle recruiter for the area that includes all of Sanders County and is constantly looking for ways to stay involved with the community.

“The small communities need assistance. Why not be a positive and not a negative,” says Sgt. Syme.

The positive involves halfway entertaining the children of Plains, but also sponsoring the Plains High School golf team who are looking to get white polo shirts with the school logo courtesy of the Guard.

But before the shirts came to the school the three National Guard members handed out mini basketballs, duffel bags, coats and backpacks to the shooting contest winners. All of the items were imprinted with the National Guard insignia, and Sgt. Syme says kids at that age are always thrilled to have something with a military stamp on it.

One of the three National Guard Members had special connection with the community. Private Courtney Jackson is a senior at Thompson Falls High School this year and signed up for the Montana National Guard a week prior to handing out gifts at the Plains game.

“They told me that I could help out and go to different communities and I said ‘let’s go for it,’” says Private Jackson. Although she recognized quite a few of the children running around the court, it was a first for many of them to see her in her uniform.

“They treat you with respect,” says Private Jackson who heads to basic training in July.