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Chicago Tribune
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: East-West basketball rivalry in Aurora stands the test of time
The late Marie Wilkinson was sometimes said to be the 'matriarch of Aurora.' She was an inspiration to at least two generations of Aurorans as an activist and advocate of equal rights for everyone. She became synonymous with Aurora, and Angela Richardson began to learn more about her from reading newspaper stories in the 1990s. Knowing that the East Aurora—West Aurora athletic rivalry had also become synonymous with Aurora for many people, Richardson had a 'light bulb' moment in 1997. She wondered if she could connect the two 'Aurora stories' in a meaningful way. I interviewed her for a Beacon-News story in 2015, and discovered that she loved Aurora and its diversity. I referenced her as a 'proud daughter' of the city as I learned of her dedication and service. And it began with basketball. 'Mrs. Wilkinson is amazing and is always doing something for someone,' Richardson said in 2015. 'I thought it would be cool if I could do just something. I thought about having an alumni game for former East and West basketball players, and then donating the money to the Marie Wilkinson Child Development Center.' The Wilkinson Center offers social, emotional and educational support services for low-income children and families. Richardson felt a special calling to help the center as her mom had been a single mother. With the help of many community leaders and volunteers, the first alumni game was played in 1997 with more than 1,800 fans in attendance. Thousands of dollars were raised for the Wilkinson Center that night. The alumni game has become a tradition, and a ladies' alumni game was added to the program as the years progressed. I have attended many of the games during its 28-year run, and have been impressed by the sportsmanship and community shown by the players and by everyone involved. The basketball rivalry is and always will be intense, but everyone has always seemed to have fun and to display friendship with former rivals. A wonderful memory occurred one year when Marie Wilkinson herself attended the game, and players (some a foot taller than she was) lined up to give her a hug as a tribute and a sign of their gratitude. This year's edition of the East-West Alumni Basketball Game was played on April 11 with another enthusiastic and spirited crowd in attendance. Among them was a smiling Sherri Penson, who for 17 years has been executive director of the Marie Wilkinson Child Development Center. 'This game has been a tremendous help in providing adequate care for our kids, and has generated between $5,000 and $10,000 a year,' Penson said. 'It has helped at least 70 children per year to be with us during the summer, and we were also able to purchase a van to help transport our children.' I made it a point to speak with the four alumni who were the 'senior' players on each team — those whose graduations occurred long ago. I was impressed that they had lost almost none of their school spirit, but more impressed at their willingness to participate with the goal of giving back to their common community. They gave brief thoughts on their night of coming back and giving back: 'I have close friends who have worked for the Marie Wilkinson Center, and I have nieces and nephews who have received before- and after-school care. It means a lot to me,' said Andre Newson, West Aurora class of 1998. 'I loved coming to school every day and looking forward to playing basketball, and the East-West game was always the highlight of our year,' said Sky Joiner, West Aurora class of 2005. 'The East-West game was the competition that we looked forward to every year. I'm glad that we've stayed healthy and that we're still playing, especially that this game is for charity,' said Yessenia Cabadas, East Aurora class of 2008. 'I'm glad to be part of giving back to the community. I've lived in Kansas as well, and giving back is something I've taken across the country with me — giving back and sharing what I can,' said Terry Jeffries, East Aurora class of 2004. The evening was ultimately about basketball, and the games did not disappoint. Both the women's and men's games were close and very competitive and exciting. The alumni played as hard and with as much spirit as they had played in their student days. The West Aurora ladies defeated East Aurora 60-58, and were led by the scoring and rebounding of Kina Miller. And in a game reminiscent of the glory days of the East-West rivalry, the West Aurora men defeated East Aurora 103-101 in double overtime. Hezekiah Salter dropped in the winning basket on a drive into the lane during the sudden-death second overtime. To paraphrase the famous Aurora cheer from both sides of the river: 'East is East and West is West, but in Aurora … community pride, sportsmanship, friendship and giving back are best.'
CBS News
04-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Denver area nonprofit that feeds thousands loses millions federal funding, group says
When immigrants and asylum seekers came to Colorado from the southern border, the Village Exchange Center on the border of Denver and Aurora stepped up to help. Through funding from the federal government , they fed them, along with other Aurorans, through their food bank and offered them free vaccinations, job fairs , and integration programs. "We're providing wraparound services to get people legal assistance, into jobs, training, getting them health care, Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, any of the benefits that they should be using to become self-sustaining," said co-founder and CEO Amanda Blaurock. Now, all of that is in jeopardy. Just a few days ago, the federal grant money the center used to help run its program was terminated. "Based on us potentially providing funding to 'illegal aliens,' were the words," said Blaurock. Village Exchange lost more than $2 million and may lose $3 million more, which has hurt them. "We have had to let go of a number of contractors and then move FTEs into different roles that they weren't previously in," said Blaurock. And their weekly food pantry, which feeds 1,100 families a week, is at risk. "After June, we will be looking at either cutting our pantries significantly and our team and not being able to provide food services to the community or getting different partners that can provide in-kind support," said Blaurock. She says cutting funding doesn't get rid of need and worries that if they can't provide services to at-risk communities in Denver, Adams, and Arapahoe counties, it could have a devastating effect on all residents as people look for new ways to survive. "It really jeopardizes the integrity and health and safety of all people living here," said Blaurock. Village Exchange Center says they will be reaching out to donors and the public to try to fill the funding gap they now face.
CBS News
01-03-2025
- General
- CBS News
New master plan designed to shape future of Aurora, Colorado's library system, public input wanted
The folks at the Aurora Public Library District want to help their community. But with a budget of $8 million for a population of nearly 400,000, the city of Aurora ranks in the bottom five for per capita public library funding in the state. That means finding the resources to do everything the community wants is a challenge. "It is a significant challenge," said Jo McNeal, the deputy director of library services. "However, checking in with the community allows us to fine tune what we do and use the resources that we have most effectively." That's why they launched a strategic and facilities master plan. It's an effort to shape the future of the library. The library will assess the condition and usage of its facilities, identify necessary capital improvements and evaluate future needs. All are based on recommendations from the community they receive from an online survey. "It's connecting with the community and getting input from the community, not just library users, but non-users as well," McNeal said. "To check in and see what exactly they need in their lives that the library might be able to help with." They want to know what Aurorans want to get out of their libraries. The library held a survey like this before, but it says it's been a while, and now more than ever, it needs to fine tune its efforts to have the most impact. "We haven't talked to the community since 2015. It's 10 years ago. A lot has changed in that time," McNeal said. "We just want to make sure that we're not spread too thin and that we are focusing on the top needs, the highest needs of the community." "Engage Aurora" website.
