His Fight Is Our Fight!
The rallying cry for the fundraising efforts for Kenai Central High School sophomore Zach Armstrong and the Armstrong family of Kenai has grown to become the rallying cry for the Central Peninsula and beyond as hundreds of community members and families joined forces to raise over $40,000 in a single event at the KCHS Zach Armstrong Fight Fundraising Event on Tuesday night.
Organizers coordinated donations, gifts, a Hawaiian dinner, silent auction tables and numerous fundraising activities.
Desi Baker, one of the primary event coordinators, on the participation of multiple groups.
“Kenai’s football did a Hawaiian feed and they fed 300 people in 45 minutes, it was so impressive. The basketball groups showed up in droves; and brought in auction baskets and Kenai volleyball and cheer did a balloon pop and we had a Freedom raffle and another raffle with an autographed (Dick Vitale) basketball. It was multiple groups coming together. It was amazing.”
Zach Armstrong was diagnosed in November with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Zach is receiving his second round of inpatient chemo treatments and is looking at 8-10 months of treatments in Anchorage for continued medical care.
Baker further explained the community involvement.
“The Armstrong’s are known by so many different groups. They started in Pop Warner (football) and when you start in Pop Warner in this community it doesn’t matter where you live Nikiski, Soldotna, Kasilof, Kenai; we all play for the same team. It drives the culture of family and team in in our athletes, these young programs for sports. It was just a Who’s Who of who have you known your whole life last night. Misty Hamilton, she helps run Kenai High School, and we started counting money and we just kind of gave up at about $25,000–we were so overwhelmed; we couldn’t count fast enough and we made at least $25,000 last night and it’s unfathomable”
Donations are still being accepted through multiple means. The KCHS Basketball Facebook Page has donation information or contact KCHS at (907) 283-2100.
Baker spoke on continued donations.
“It’s listed on KCHS Basketball Facebook Page, probably the easiest one to find. We have an Alaska USA account set up; you can just call and tell Alaska USA you want to put into Kory Armstrong’s account. There’s a Venmo account (@Kory-Armstrong-1). If you go on the Facebook of that page there’s a way that you guys can still give which is just huge!”
Photo courtesy of Kory Armstrong Facebook Page