The BIG PASS
The Big Passers
In an amazing spirit of cheerfulness and co-operation, Bilton Grange spent a cold, wet Saturday afternoon raising money for Wooden Spoon. Everyone from Junior girls to the First XV worked hard to string together as many passes as they could to take advantage of the very generous sponsorships offered by the BG community.
It all got off to a slightly drier start the previous afternoon: the senior girls were so disappointed that their match commitments prevented them from participating that alternative arrangements were made and the girls ran a (very chilly) warm-up run on the Friday. The Mysterious Ps set the benchmark by stringing together 256 consecutive passes, while teams like the Stripey Chickens and Seven Nations led the way with some excellent costumes.
On the morning of the Big Pass, Mike Umaga, veteran of Samoa’s World Cup campaigns and now a local coach, visited the school and provided some excellent photo opportunities, as well as being a true ambassador for rugby, agreeing to sign pictures for the boys he worked with.
Jai Purewal, from the Wooden Spoon, brought in merchandise to go along with the Winter Fair and the pupils helped to raise money by buying wristbands, hats and teddy bears. A Wooden Spoon wristband is the must-have fashion accessory at Bilton Grange this season.
And then, the big occasion itself. A flood of pupils deluged onto Bilton’s three main rugby fields to work together to make those passes, avoiding dropping the ball or passing forward. With lots of laughter, crazy costumes and a real determination to things well, the Bilton Grange pupils put together a sometimes staggering number of passes (the Grammar Gangsters breaking the 1,000 mark!). For beginners and old hands, it was a most cheerful thing happening in the miserable weather .
A big thank you must be offered to the brave staff who stood and counted passes, or even joined in, on a cold November Saturday afternoon. Another should go to the very generous sponsors of the determined rugby players. Northampton Saints and the Barwell family have donated some lovely incentive prizes and we need to thank them too. Mike Umaga and Jai Purewal, representing Wooden Spoon, also need to be thanked for their efforts. Most of all, though, the pupils who collected sponsorships and then happily earned the charitable contributions need a big thank you.
Well done, Bilton Grange.
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Tags: Events, Prep, Rugby, Sport
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