FOXBURG — As a varsity boys basketball coach, Andy Rapp knows all about giving his time.

This Christmas season, the A-C Valley coach, the school's boys basketball boosters, players and participating teams took the spirit of giving to a new level through the Hoops for Heroes Crossover Challenge held Dec. 7-8.

The Falcons, Karns City, Portersville Christian and North East boys basketball teams combined to raise more than $2,500 worth of comfort items and/or cash donations for the 60 veterans residing at the Butler VA hospital.

“Andy got this whole thing started a few years ago,” A-C Valley Boys Basketball Booster Club president Anita Orton said. “We stepped forward this year to take a lot of the work out of his hands and lessen his load.

“It's certainly been an extremely worthwhile project.”

Rapp said the boosters “got behind this as an organization and added a lot of muscle to it.”

All four teams contributed to the cause. A-C Valley collected comfort items and cash donations before, during and after the Hoops for Heroes event. The KC Gremlin Roundball Club contributed more than $250 in comfort items, spearheaded by sophomore point guard Chase Beighley.

“Chase was one of our first kids to get behind this effort,” KC coach Chris Bellis said.

Portersville Christian's players and fans contributed by buying many Hoops for Heroes shirts that were made available through DeMans Team Sports in Brookville, which produced the shirts at cost.

The North East Boys Basketball Boosters contributed more than $200 in gift cards, which the A-C Valley boosters used in shopping for the veterans.

“Overall, we had $1,000 cash to use in shopping for gift items for the veterans,” Orton said. “We organized one night after practice for our players to help us arrange the gift bags to bring down to the V.A. on Christmas Day.

“It was an assembly line sort of thing, very organized, with everybody helping out.”

The Dec. 7-8 marked the third Hoops for Heroes Challenge. Rapp said the event and its aftermath of giving has grown every year.

“Before we even started having a tournament, I went down to the V.A. to visit on Christmas and a couple of kids went with me,” Rapp recalled. “Eventually, we started bringing some gifts. Now each of the 60 veterans received a full gift bag.

“We had four junior high players and nine varsity players come down on Christmas Day this time. Each spent some time in a veteran's room, presenting the gift bag, staying and talking to them for a while.”

The A-C Valley contingent left Foxburg at 9:30 a.m. Christmas Day and returned home by 1 p.m.

“They still had the bulk of the day to spend Christmas with their families, warmed by the feeling of the beautiful thing they just did,” Orton said.

One A-C Valley seventh grade basketball player, Jay Clover, raised approximately $180 on his own for the cause.

“I love the message this sends to everybody,” Rapp said. “Our veterans are important. The kids took time to thank them, to appreciate them. And it hammers home the spirit of giving.”

Bellis agreed,

“Andy's been building that thing for a few years now,” the Karns City coach said. “I think it's a great idea and a great thing to do at Christmas.”