Nub-Ability Kickball Tournament Raised $800 for Limb Loss Summer Camp at Greenville College
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[There was only one rule Saturday when six teams took to the Jaycees Field for a kickball tournament to benefit Sam Kuhnert's Nub-Ability Athlete's Camp at Greenville College in July.
Don't play by the rules.
Sam's mom--Jana Kuhnert--ran bases barefooted. The baselines were hotter than Daytona Beach the first week of August. You could play first base while eating a popsicle or circle second base with your shorts starting to fall off. Nobody cared. They just smiled.
For the six teams who were raising money for this great cause to benefit limb-loss athletes it was strictly "come as you are."
One team largely made up of incoming Du Quoin High School freshmen called "Balls 'n Dolls" tie-dyed matching shirts for the tournament.
By the end of the day, about $800 was raised to help cover transportation costs for limb-challenged athletes who want to attend Sam's summer camp at Greenville College. Sam is Greenville's pitcher.
You heard me.
The camp is a success story. "There will probably be more coaches there than attendees," said Sam's father, Todd Kuhnert in talking about the legions of volunteers who want to help.
The Kuhnert family over the winter put their heads together and created a foundation called Nub-Ability Athletics and a Web site nubability.com for limb challenged athletes.
Sam's introduction says it all: "I am the founder of the NubAbility Foundation. I wasn't born with an "extra" hand, so I only have a right one. I have found competitive athletics an area in life where I can match or beat the hard work, determination and perseverance of other two handed athletes. For me, sports has been a journey that has allowed me to be just one of the guys."
"The purpose of NubAbility Athletics is to encourage, inspire, and instruct congenital and traumatic amputees who have the desire to compete in organized sports. An important goal of ours is to network not only with children that want to learn to play, but also with accomplished limb different athletes across the country. We understand the power of mentorship. My freshman football coach was one to me. He had a nub just like me! Eventually we will establish NubAbility Athletic training camps and clinics across the country so that we can turn your dream into reality.
Todd said the success of the kickball tournament is to the credit of Jim Dimitroff of the Jaycees. "What Jim Dimitroff does for this community is amazing," Todd said. The day's umpires donated all of their time.
On Monday night, Rent One Park and the Southern Illinois Miners hosted limb loss night at the ballpark. The first $2 from every admission was donated to Nub-Ability Athletics.
Todd said the community can be proud of what it does. The weekend included a benefit for local teacher and coach Keith Ellis, the Jaycees fishing tournament, the kickball tournament and the wedding of city clerk Blaine Bastien's son where friends saw to it that Blaine--who is undergoing treatment for cancer--had a front row seat at his son's wedding.
It doesn't get any better than that.