Game culminates LOHS Charity Week activities

By Jim Newell
Review Editor
The Lake Orion High School Fieldhouse was a-rockin’ on Friday as students, faculty and parents witnessed an epic matchup between Lake Orion and Oxford in a contest that had the intensity to rival a playoff game.
Despite a late-game comeback by the Dragons, the Wildcats managed to hold on to a two-point lead and win 24-22 during the annual Special Olympics basketball game between the schools.
Oxford jumped out to an early lead, going up 15-3 at one point before the Dragons began to fight their way back into the game.
With 36.6 seconds left and the score 24-22, Lake Orion had a game-tying basket nullified on a foul call. The Dragons kept up the pressure, but the Wildcat defense managed to hold out until the final whistle.
After the game, the players lined-up and shook hands, with fans cheering for both teams.
“This game is very important to our community – it’s a chance to see that no matter what, we are all Dragons. The game went well, except we lost to Oxford at home by a basket, 22-24,” said Lori Hogan, a history teacher and Leadership Development Workshop advisor at Lake Orion High School.
The game between the Special Olympians has become a tradition, giving athletes from both communities the chance to compete in a raucous, yet supportive environment, with students, faculty and parents cheering the competitors.
“About 7 years ago, we began to tie the game into our Charity week so that kids would have an ending event to Charity week – also it’s a fun way to end the week with all the spirit and Charity,” Hogan said.
Last week was Charity Week at Lake Orion High School, with students taking part in various activities and raising donations. The basketball game and all the activities are organized by the Leadership Development Workshop class.
“During the week, we had lunch auctions for Shamrock Shakes and classes paid to have teachers in Jail for the Day. We had a men’s volleyball tournament and a Magic Show and dress up days each day,” Hogan said.
The school will donate

all the funds from the week’s activities to benefit other youths in the state.
“This year we chose Make-A-Wish Michigan as a way to give back to kids in our state – we like the idea that all of the funds raised go to kids in Michigan,” Hogan said.
The game coincided with the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017, which got underway March 14 in Austria and conclude March 25.
All of the Lake Orion basketball players have been members of the programs that LOCS offers: some take adult education classes at the CERC building and some are enrolled here at LOHS, Hogan said.
“They are all members of the LOCS family in some way,” she said.