Girls basketball gifts the community with free gift wrapping

Many athletes make their contribution to help the community in various ways. As the holiday season is also known as the ‘season of giving,’ SCHS girls basketball conducted their own annual gift wrapping last weekend at a local toy store in Sunnyvale.

The annual free gift wrapping has been going on for about 14 years and has earned girls varsity basketball coach and PE teacher Melodee Kiyota some recognition from people who have asked to get their gifts wrapped.

“[Gift wrapping] is exhausting, but it is nice that we get recognition for doing some good work,” Kiyota said. “The same people have been coming back every year for the past seven to ten years, and they recognize us. It’s great!”

This year is varsity player and senior Breanna Mertz’s first year participating in the gift wrapping. She describes the experience as a good team bonding activity.

“I love this team a lot,” Mertz said. “Through this fundraiser, I feel like I got to know more things about them, little things that you don’t get to know in the court.”

According to Kiyota, this is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the girls basketball team.

“The gift wrapping itself is non-profit,” varsity player and senior Bianca Gutierrez said. “But we do accept donations, and those donations go towards the team’s equipment.”

Though winter brings cold weather, girls basketball continues to uphold the tradition.

“We sit outside the store,” Catherine Clear, varsity player and junior, said. “It’s really cold, but it feels good that we’re helping the community out.”

“It’s cold, but because we’re hanging out, we warm each other up,” Gutierrez added.

Members like Mertz are glad to have the opportunity to help make other people’s holidays better.

“It’s an easy fundraising activity, and it’s also good to know that we’re contributing to a happy holiday for others,” Mertz said.