On January 21, the Sievers Center was flooded with orange at the boys home game versus St. Joseph-Ogden High School, in order to honor the life of Natalie McDowell, a school nurse who passed away on November 6, 2021. Monticello’s Pep Club raised donations for St. Jude, a charity that Mrs. McDowell contributed much to.
“When people heard we were putting on this event, they wanted to do whatever they could to help,” stated senior Elise Devore, President of Pep Club.
Hand donations weren’t the only means of raising money throughout the night. Another method of raising money was a half-court shooting competition for all the fans present.
Each participant paid a dollar to shoot, and the only person to successfully make the half-court shot was eighth grader Thaddeus Rudolph on his first try. “I was proud of myself for making it before anyone else,” Rudolph said, “especially since there were a lot of high schoolers out there.”
Both Monticello and St. Jo fans eagerly participated in the night, making it very successful.
“Due to the generosity both Monticello and SJO showed, the night ran smoothly, and we were successful in passing the monetary goal of $10,000 which we had set for ourselves,” Devore commented.
Cora Sowinski, a senior at Monticello High School who attended the game, shared many of the same sentiments that Devore expressed.
“My favorite part was seeing Monticello come together to support Mrs. McDowell. It was amazing to look into the gym, and see all of the orange shirts cheering on the Sages. Plus, we raised a huge amount of money for a great cause!” Sowinski said.
Devore reflected, “It’s amazing to see what two communities can do when they come together.”
Louisa Rudolph, Staff Writer rudlo24@sages.us
The Sage Informer 
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