The Jr. Sioux Wheelers were in Dell Rapids Sunday afternoon for a fundraising event at the Dell Rapids High School. The Jr. Sioux Wheelers, for players under the age of 21, began in 1987. Their mission is to “offer an equal opportunity to participate in athletics to individuals with lower extremity disabilities due to injury or congenital condition.” Before coming to Dell Rapids, the team recently competed in Vermillion, SD and finished in fourth place competing against teams from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska.
The Jr. Sioux Wheelers brought a roster consisting of players from Sioux Falls, Mt. Lake, MN and 3 players from Dell Rapids…Hunter Gronli, Jon Anderson, and Michael Mitchel. The team played against four “teams” of players from Dell Rapids in each of the four quarters. In the first quarter, they faced “The Senior Spinners”, a team of 2012 Dell Rapids High School Seniors. “The Senior Spinners” consisted of Tanner Munk, Zach Barber, Brianna Davis, Paige Bunkers, Channing Barber, Laine Mitchell, Chad Munk, Weston Hansen and Hunter White. The second quarter team was the “The Hot Wheels”, Wheelers friends and family, Kyler Anderson, Chrystina Anderson, Brian Gronli ,Dave Mitchell, Caleb Kirshenmann, Makaela Stofferahn, Sydney Stofferahn, Michael Hauschildt, and Rod Anderson. The third quarter team was “The Rocks (that don’t roll),” representing local businesses, Mike Kahler, Dan Ahlers, Taylor Huska, Greg Schwebach, Justin Wyland, Patrick Pate, and Ron Visser. The final team to take on the Wheelers in the fourth quarter was “The Flat Tires”, representing Dell Rapids teachers and coaches, Jeff Welbig, Julie Barber, Steve Hegge, Mick Hoglund, Mike Putnam, Scott Headrick, Ashley Brockhause, Steve Hansen, Craig Jorgensen, Doug Fiedler, and Jeff Dvorak.
The fundraising event provided many raffles throughout each quarter and at the end of the game. All of the proceeds from the game went to benefit the Sioux Wheelers Sports Program.