Kenyan Ambassador thanks students for charity work

Peter Ogego, the Kenyan Ambassador to the United States, visited Brighton High School last week to thank students for raising money to build dams in Kenya.

“I want to personally thank you for giving a dam,” Ogego said to laughter at an assembly in the school’s auditorium.  “I want to tell you I can’t thank you enough and encourage you to continue this great American tradition of giving.”

The student body officers earlier this year selected a charity to which students would contribute money earned through various activities. Students chose the Utah-based non-profit In Our Quiet Way, along with its Give a Dam project.

The students’ fund-raising goal is $48,000, which would provide enough money to build four dams in Kenya. The high school’s first fund-raising event, a silent auction on Oct. 22, yielded $20,000.

The dams built with money given by BHS students will provide a water supply for 50,000 people each year. Brighton students, who will raise money until Dec. 19, also may name the dams.

Canyons School District Superintendent David S. Doty told student that he couldn’t help but think how the word “Canyons” sounds similar to “Kenyans.”  

“I hope that we will find ourselves linked for a long time to come,” Doty said.

U.S. ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL SELECTS
BRIGHTON HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT
Ricky Heimuli Earns Elite Status for 10th Anniversary Game

Cottonwood Heights — Ricky Heimuli of Brighton High School has been selected to play in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl joining an elite group of student-athletes. Those selected will play in the 10th anniversary game on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The annual classic East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 11 a.m. and will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.

“Ricky is a talented athlete whose exemplary displays of leadership and teamwork have made him a standout at Brighton High School,” said Col. Derik Crotts, Deputy Chief of Staff, G7, U.S. Army Accessions Command. “The qualities necessary to succeed on the football field, strength, dedication, leadership and teamwork, are the same qualities mirrored in Army Strong Soldiers. We are proud to honor all of our U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and congratulate them on their selection.”

Heimuli was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of SportsLink’s network of regional directors throughout the country, Rivals.com and Tom Lemming. U.S. Army All-American players are eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, the Pete Dawkins MVP Award, the Walter Payton Trophy, honoring the student-athlete that best represents Payton’s athleticism, hard work and ideals; and the Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard U.S. Army Awards which recognize the two players who best epitomize the Army’s high standard of excellence in community service, education and athletic distinction.

As a result of Ricky Heimuli being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach Ryan Bullett is invited to travel to San Antonio and attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite two-day learning experience featuring NFL and NCAA coaches, as well as participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game-week activities.

For 10 years, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, and Terrelle Pryor all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. Last year the U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew more than 32,000 fans to the game at the Alamodome along with being the most watched sporting event on television over the weekend, besides the NFL Playoffs. Last spring, eight alumni of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

The U.S. Army Accessions Command, headquartered at Ft. Monroe, Va., is charged with providing integrated command and control of the recruiting and initial military training for the Army's officer, warrant officer, and enlisted forces. Designed to meet the human resource needs of the Army from first handshake to first unit of assignment, the command transforms volunteers into Soldiers and leaders for the Army.

For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events visit www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com & www.goarmy.com/events/aab. The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is owned by SportsLink, a New Jersey-based sport marketing and event management company. Other national sponsors of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl are Football University, Degree Deodorant, Athletic Republic, Rivals.com, Russell Athletic, Spalding, Schutt Sports, EAS, San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Maxwell Football Club, beRecruited.com, Choice Hotels, Deloitte, NCSA, and Gatorade.

WHEN:  Saturday, Oct. 24

• Parade of Athletes — 9:45 a.m.
• Girls’ competition — 10 a.m.
• Boys’ competition — 10:45 a.m.
• Awards — 11 a.m.

WHERE: Eastmont Middle School, 10100 S. 1300 East, Sandy

The top three girls and three boys from each of Canyons’ eight middle schools will run a 2-mile cross country race around the Eastmont campus. The event is the inaugural contest of Canyons District’s middle-school intramural athletics program, which was developed to promote healthy lifestyles and gauge interest for future competitive sports programs. Individual winners will be awarded medals and the fastest teams will receive trophies to be displayed at their respective schools. Throughout the year, the intramurals program for middle school students also will support 3-on-3 basketball and Ultimate Frisbee competitions, as well as a one-day districtwide tournament for each sport.

CONTACTS:   Jeff Haney, Associate Communications Director, 801-501-1060 or 801-372-7665;  Jennifer Toomer-Cook, Communications Director, 801-501-1015 or 801-631-3484; and K-16 Directors Mike Sirois, 801-501-1027 and Trenton Goble, 801-501-1028

In The News:

• "Students off and running in new fitness program" - Deseret News

Utah CEO Features Superintendent Doty's Viewpoint

Superintendent David Doty’s views on the importance of building "campus-to-commerce" bridges are featured in the October edition of Utah CEO magazine.
“While academic achievement is and should continue to be the primary emphasis of schools, educators also should establish and maintain partnerships with various constituencies. Chief among the groups with whom we should be building relationships are business leaders. Not only are they major taxpaying supporters of public education, but also the very people who rely on educational institutions to prepare students to join the workforce,” Dr. Doty states in the article.  “As the educational and economic landscapes go global, we must embrace a spirit of collaboration and unconventional thinking. It is time to become true partners in the education of our children, of our workforce, of our leaders of tomorrow.”
To view the full article, please visit www.utahceomagazine.com/article.php?id=400.