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Parkland's girls hoops team needs your support

Junior girls basketball fundraising for hopeful run to the provincial finals.
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Parkland’s Miel Guerra Alva

With a strong shot at making it through to provincials this year, the Parkland Secondary Junior Girls basketball team is getting a head start on fundraising, beginning with a car wash on Valentine’s Day.

One of three teams battling it out in the Lower Island playoffs right now, the girls were on their way to a makeup game with Claremont Friday afternoon to determine first place in the standings. (Editor's note Feb. 12/15: Parkland won that game, finishing at 9-1 and first in their division. The girls play this Friday at 4 p.m. at Central Middle School on Fort Street in the south Island championship round. From there, they could advance to Nanaimo's Wellington high school Feb. 19 to 21 for the Island Championships.)

“If we make it all the way through to provincials, we’ll need thousands of dollars,” said team manager Lynn Fanelli. “They’ve had a pretty stellar season. They’ve only lost one game in league play, and so we thought we’d better start fundraising.”

The team will be out in all their basketball gear washing cars and hoping to show the community how committed they are to their team, said player Miel Guerra Alva.

“We’ve had a really good season, and all of us are really determined and committed to this team,” she said. “I’m hoping we’ll get a lot of support.”

“What we’re trying to do is tackle every game,” added fellow player Lauren Fanelli. “We want to go far, but we’ve just got to play every game as it comes.”

It has been decades since Parkland had a junior girls team make it through to provincials, said Lynn, and it’s sure to be exciting.

The car wash runs Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Spelt’s Shell gas station, 7856 East Saanich Road in Saanichton, and is by donation. For more, contact parklandgirlsbball@gmail.com.