Members of the Lady Panthers Leadership Team on Wednesday presented a $900 check to Jersey High School’s Key Club. Members of the leadership team include Libby Munsterman, Lauren Pace, Alli Bohannon, Hailea Tepen, Nicole Maag, Natalie Howell, Kadiah Baalman, Alexis Heinrich, and not pictured, Erica Bechtold. The Key Club representatives are Kinley Brown, Hannah Hudson, Anna Fessler, Sarah Williams, Shelby Weinmann, Taylor Wendle, and Samantha Hubbs.

JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey Community High School Lady Panthers Leadership Team made a moving presentation to the Key Club on Wednesday to fulfill a previous commitment to Anna Hausman’s family.

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Hausman, a Jersey volleyball and soccer player and exceptional student, died in a tragic car crash last school year.

In May, the Lady Panthers soccer team held a memorial game in honor of Ethan Maupin and Anna Hausman. At the request of the Hausman family, a portion of the money raised during that event was to be donated to the high school’s Key Club.

Jersey Superintendent Dr. Lori Hopkins started the opening of the school year to staff and students relating story after story of many things the district as a whole does to make the community great.

Some of the donations raised at the memorial soccer match are also being used to begin a very deliberate campaign on the campus to make positive changes in the Jersey culture, Brad Kimble, the Jersey girls soccer coach, and group spokesperson said

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"In February of 2016, several female athletes attended a leadership training conference with Coach Dennis Snep and the Jason Foundation on the Washington University campus in St. Louis," he said. "During that conference, the ladies were asked to identify a problem on their high school campus and then establish a possible solution. After several good conversations, the ladies solidified a decision to begin an anti-bullying campaign."

Jersey will be participating in the national anti-bullying campaign in November, Kimble said.

"The Key Club wanted to help develop a true culture shift and make it even bigger than a one-and-done activity," Kimble said. "The Lady Panthers Leadership Team will encourage all young ladies on campus to expend that energy on positive interactions: uplifting, complimenting, praising, supporting, etc.

"The girls decided to create a t-shirt design, which will encompass the main objective. With help from Julie’s Graphics, they created a design. In the picture, the ladies are wearing long-sleeved orange shirts with blue writing. These are the colors that will be used for the national anti-bullying campaign. On the back is a large logo that reads, 'Lend a hand, take a stand. Stop bullying now!' On the front, 'Niceness is Priceless.' On the sleeve is one word that honestly represents the entire campaign: FAMILY."

The Key Club and Lady Panthers Leadership Team encourages all female athletes to take a pledge, buy an $8 short-sleeved t-shirt and be active participants in this culture initiative. In October, they will invite even more students to participate in this process.

Kimble closed by saying: “I will ask you, the reader, to consider your own influence that you have with your family and friends. Are you using your words to hurt or to heal? Tear down or lift up? Join us in this movement. Help us not only make Jersey High School the best school ever, but Jersey County the absolute best place to live. We all know that ‘niceness is priceless.’ Let’s follow the Lady Panthers Leadership Team and put positive actions to our words.”

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