The Key Club of Calvary Lutheran High School recently was recognized at a national conference for helping one of its own.
Calvary Lutheran's Key Club took third place in the gold division for single service project at the International Key Club Conference in Chicago, July 4-8.
Sydney Duenckel was the chief organizer of the alumni softball game to benefit the Chance Sommerer Recovery Fund. The softball game was the single service project Calvary Lutheran's club was recognized for, and Duenckel and Key Club sponsor and teacher Denise Crider represented Calvary in Chicago.
Chance Sommerer is recovering from severe trauma - including brain and other nerve injuries - he suffered in a head-on car crash on U.S. 63 in September. He had to be airlifted to University Hospital in Columbia.
Sommerer's wife, Emily, shared on Facebook in late November that he had just then been cleared by his doctor to walk, two months after the crash.
Chance said last week that he's at the phase in his recovery of strength training and focusing on getting back to normal.
"Chance's sister used to babysit me, and he's been an active member of our church. He actually was one of our first Key Club members," said Duenckel, a rising junior.
She said a lot of supporters from different area churches were at the softball game last November, noting about 40-50 people came to watch and 10 alumni came to play. The effort raised just under $2,000, she said.
"It was pretty remarkable to realize how much people cared for myself and my family," Chance said of the effort and other community events like it that people organized for him.
The Brazito Lions Club hosted a welcome home celebration and fundraiser for him in November. Immanuel Lutheran Church parishioners held a cookie fundraiser for him in December.
"I'm glad that (Duenckel) did as well as she did. I wasn't expecting any kind of help like that, but it's very much appreciated," he said.
Chance is no stranger to organizing help for other people. Community members might remember him as one of the local people who spearheaded relief for Kansas wildfire victims last year.
In his time at Calvary Lutheran, he helped his brother and another classmate organize a truck and tractor pull to raise money to offset tuition costs for students at the private school.
This time, it's been the community helping Chance.
"I feel extremely blessed to be a part of such a loving community which consistently steps forward to help," Crider said of how it feels to have helped one of Calvary Lutheran's own Key Club family members.
"The student body with whom I work feels like a family. As a family, I believe we try to help one another whenever we can. To receive an honor for this is amazing. I am appreciative that the world can see the power of what a group of determined young people can do. I hope that the students are able to understand how much of an impact they can have upon the world."