The Mariah’s Challenge 3 on 3 basketball tourney held on December 28 was attended by 45 teams of players from third through eighth grade. Teams came from as far away as Great Falls, Bozeman and Frenchtown to enjoy a great day of basketball. With the increased number of teams, it was necessary to use both JHS gyms and the Boulder Elementary gym.
Local young people served as referees, scorekeepers and helped in concessions Fourteen-year-old Mariah McCarthy of Butte was killed 100 feet from her home by a drunk driver. At her funeral, Mariah’s father challenged her classmates at Butte High to be the first class to graduate with no DUIs or MIPs and promised that there would be a scholarship available to all of those students who accomplished that. That challenge has spread across the state and nation. $8050 has been awarded to JHS students who accepted and met the challenge in the past eight years.
This tournament provides the bulk of the money used for scholarships. Mariah’s Challenge is dedicated to education and the prevention of underage drinking and driving in Montana. The non–profit organization provides scholarships to students who uphold the foundation’s ideals and supports education, events and dialogue in communities that promote healthy, responsible lifestyles. To learn more check out the website at mariahschallenge.org or attend a local leadership team meeting on the fourth Monday of each month at 5 p.m. in the Jefferson County courthouse annex building conference room.
