It's been more than a little while, but? | Primary Thoughts

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It?s been more than a little while, but I have to rally any assistance that y?all can give. Yes, y?all. Remember I?m from Oklahoma.

Most of you know that I have a son, Mekhi, that loves sports. Many of you know through facebook, twitter and instagram that track is a new sport for him. He has spent the summer competing in AAU Track and Field and is *eh-hem* kicking butt. He has qualified to compete in the AAU Junior Olympics in the 100M, 400M, 4X100M, and 4X400M!! Saying all of this to say, please help! The team, Fast Lane Track Club, is struggling to raise funds for the group to travel to Houston to compete. If you have any ideas on how to decrease costs, are willing to donate products to be raffled, or are willing to make a monetary donation individually, through a group or organization, please contact Coach Lawyer at fastlanerunners@yahoo.com. If you would like to support Mekhi specifically, you can through paypal to email address richlife.tr@gmail.com, Terrance Richardson (this is Mekhi?s father). Below is an article about the team.

The budget doesn?t scare or intimidate Nathan Lawyer. It never has.

As director of the Fast Lane Track Club ? an AAU club on Hilton Head Island ? one of Lawyer?s chief responsibilities is raising money to help send his athletes to the annual Junior Olympic Games, an event Fast Lane attends ?just about every year,? he said.

Seeing as how Fast Lane has inhabited the island for nearly three decades, Lawyer has become accustomed to close-calls and tight financial constraints when it comes to the yearly trip.

But this time around has proven more difficult, as he and coach James Franklin are looking to raise $15,000 to send the local athletes to the games, which will be held from July 27-Aug. 4 in Houston.

The team has raised $6,000 to date ? less than half of the projected amount to attend ? through various fundraising events. Another car wash and yard sale is planned for Saturday at the Island Recreation Center, Lawyer noted.

?We?ve had difficulties before,? he said. ?This year, it feels almost like the help we normally get just couldn?t do it this year.?

Franklin, now in his seventh year with the program, points to the lack of usual sponsors and a struggling economy for the undetermined fate of the club?s Junior Olympics odds.

?Every year it?s a battle to go,? he said. ?This year, we lost some funding that we would normally have. But we?ve been able to do some fundraising. It?s looking good, but parents are going to have to really, really chip in and dig deep ? for us to go.

?We?ve promised them that we?re going to go, but it?s a stress.?

Going back on that promise is something neither wants to do. It wouldn?t make it much easier knowing Franklin?s son, 13-year-old James ?PJ? Franklin, is also on the team and has already qualified in the 200-meter hurdles and the 4?100 relay.

?It?s going to be extremely tough (telling them we?re backing out),? Franklin said. ?I don?t know how I?d be able to do it.?

The chance at multiple gold medals would make missing out even tougher. Twenty-nine Fast Lane members in all have qualified for this year?s event, which spans four relay teams and seven different individual races. Meanwhile, 10 of the club?s athletes have qualified in field events.

As for those with the best chance to win? Hilton Head?s Alex Braden, a two-time defending national champion, will seek a three-peat in the 1,500 race walk while also competing in the 3,000 version of the event. Joining him as a potential gold medalist is Hilton Head Island High School?s Zaequan Chisolm, who will take part in the 100, 200 and 400.

?He?s another promising athlete looking to finish in at least the top 10,? Franklin said of the 15-year-old. ?Maybe even better.?

The large number of competitors is partly why financing the trip has become so troublesome. The 29 athletes participating in this year?s event is one more than Fast Lane sent in 2011, but that group saw more children attend the games than the previous two years combined.

?We?ve just got to get out and do some things and hopefully people give us some donations so we can take the kids,? Lawyer said. ?They definitely deserve to go.?

2012 AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES

What: Members of the Fast Lane Track Club will compete against various youth athletes from throughout the country

When: July 27 to Aug. 4

Where: Houston, Texas

Qualifiers

4?800 (midget): Noah Campbell, Chris Washington, Curtis Dressin, Sterling White, Lance Jackson; Girls 4?800 (midget): Caroline Bremmer, Chyna Sneed, Nora Parker, Isabel Muehlemar, Sage Stahlhever; 4?100 (youth): Team 1 ? Joseph Robinson, Jose Gaytan, James Franklin, Mekhi Richardson; Team 2 ? Jestin Morrow, Clarance Perry, John Bell, Tyler Hamilton; Shot put: Cedric Knighten, Jaylen Sneed, Harvey King, Chyna Sneed; Discus: Harvey King, Cedric Knighten, Reed Shindell; Javelin: Harvey King, Cedric Knighten, Michael Goggin, Miles Wedeking; Long jump: Tyler Hamilton, Chris Skager; High jump: Chris Skager; 200-meter hurdles: James Franklin; 400-meter hurdles: John Baty; 100-meter dash: Mekhi Richardson, Zaequan Chisolm 200-meter dash: Zaequan Chisolm; 400-meter dash: Zaequan Chisolm; 1500-meter race walk: Alex Braden; 3000-meter race walk: Alex Braden.

* Please note that the list of qualifiers is not all inclusive.

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Source: http://primarythoughts.net/2012/07/19/its-been-more-than-a-little-while-but-30/

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