Latest news with #NAIAWomen'sVolleyballNationalChampionship
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sioux City 17-year-old is the proud owner of a Papa Murphy's
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — There's a new business owner in Sioux City, and she's only 17 years old. Wednesday was the grand reopening for the Papa Murphy's location in Sioux City, with the 17-year-old owner ready to serve her community some delicious pizza. Lily Wilford is your average 17-year-old. She loves to hang out with her friends and spend time out in the sun, and just like many other kids her age, she got a job the first chance she could – for her, it had to be at Papa Murphy's. 'This is where all my siblings worked, so every time they turned 14, they'd get a job here,' Lily said. 'It's a really good starting job, and it grew my work ethic, and it really helped me develop who I am today.' Sioux City to host NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship for 4 more years Lily is homeschooled by her mother and father, Kathie and Brad, and with school coming to an end for her, the teenager wasn't sure what to do next. 'So I was looking for colleges, you know, majors, everything that a senior does,' she said. 'But I just really wasn't finding anything that I had the drive for and that I wanted to do. And so I just kind of let God take the wheel and kind of lead me where he wanted me to go.' The former owner of the Papa Murphy's made an offer Brad and Kathie to purchase and run the restaurant last April, but the couple already had a busy life. Instead, they said: why not have Lily become the owner? 'When this opportunity presented itself, it got me excited and it was something that I wanted to do,' Lily said. 'So we started looking into it see if this was even possible. I'm 17, can a 17-year-old own a business? So there is definitely challenges and barriers and things that I had to overcome and so many things I had to learn.' Over the course of several months, Lily and her family met with corporate officials and went through days of training. In Aug. 2024, Lily officially became the owner of the restaurant, with her parents being co-owners. Now, with roughly five and a half months of experience under her belt, Lily is continuing to tackle challenges as they come her way. 'Really just finding out how to lead them,' Lily said. 'As a 17-year-old, how can I lead them well and really just put the skills that I've learned from my homeschooling and being able to learn and grow and to always become the best version of me that I can.' And what's Lily's favorite part of her job? Affordable housing a point of emphasis for Sioux City 'Customers, the guests, you know, they come in and I love to get to know their names, I love to know who they are,' she said. 'And it's just, that's really the best part, is when I get to talk to them and ask them how their day's going.' Brad and Kathie say they're proud of their daughter and look forward to seeing her succeed. 'You know, she's doing a great job,' the couple said. 'It's not easy. It's hard. It's got challenges. But she's doing a great job. And really, the key is what she keeps saying, is she loves her customers. She loves people and wants to hear their stories. And you know, that's what makes her successful.' Lily says she's still got much to learn about being an owner and is excited for whatever the future brings her. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sioux City to host NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship for 4 more years
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Sioux City will be the host of the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship for four more years. According to a release from the Oak View Group, the Tyson Events Center will be the home to the National Championship for four more years. This agreement means the tournament will continue to take place at the Tyson Events Center until 2028. 'As women's athletics continues to explode in popularity, we are proud to be on the forefront of that growth through our longstanding partnership with the NAIA,' said general manager of the Tyson Events Center Chad Smidt. 'We couldn't ask for a better partner in the NAIA and can't wait to see what the future holds as we continue to develop and grow the women's volleyball national championship in Sioux City.' The NAIA tournament has been a Sioux City staple since 2008, and NAIA says that every year the tournament averages around 6,650 attendees. Affordable housing a point of emphasis for Sioux City 'We are thrilled to extend the contract to host the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship in Sioux City,' said Corey Westra, co-tournament director and commissioner of the Great Plains Athletic Conference. 'The growth and excitement around volleyball in Sioux City and the surrounding area has been a direct result of this prestigious championship being here since 2008. Hosting this event is a tremendous honor and continues our long-standing tradition of being a strong partner with the NAIA as a high-caliber championship host community.' The NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship features 24 teams that compete in a seven-day long single-elimination tournament. This year, the Tyson Events Center will be hosting the tournament from December 3 through December 9. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
