The Alumni team of Chuck and Jane Amick, Nancy Kelly, Coly Blake and Kathy and Ed Irving were the first place winners in the Chili Cook-off with their “Roaring Good Chili.”

The Letcher, Artesian-Letcher, Sanborn Central Alumni Weekend drew large crowds this past weekend, despite the slow saturation of moisture received throughout the day on Saturday.
The weekend started out with “Tiger Night” in the Letcher Community Center Friday evening.
Saturday morning an estimated 225 to 250 runners and walkers showed up at Rossy Park to show their unflinching support for Tanna Kingsbury, eighth grade graduate at Sanborn Central who is battling a rare form of bone cancer. The 5K Run/Walk was organized by Stacy, Brooke and Riley Zoss, with assistance of other volunteers.
Following the race a chili cook-off was held at Jake’s Lounge, followed by a bean bag tournament and outhouse races on Main Street. The day wrapped up with the Renegades entertaining the crowd at Jake’s Saturday night. The alumni banquet was also held Saturday night at the Moose Lodge in Mitchell.
Sunday finished out the weekend with a men’s slow pitch softball tournament in Letcher.

“The Zoody outhouse” team conssisted of (left to right) Shawn Moody, Steve Zoss, Casey Zoss, Brooke Zoss and Jerilyn Moody.

Results of the bean bag tournament are: first, Wes Stekl and Kevin Kingsbury; second, Sherri Stekl and Troy Olson; third, Brooke Zoss and Riley Zoss.
Thirty-two teams played in the bean bag tournament.
Outhouse Race Winners were: first, “The Stach Team”; second, “Jake’s Royal Flush”; third, “Class of ‘84” ; fourth, “The Tiger Team” ; fifth, “The Zoody Outhouse”
Chili Cook Off Winners were: first, “The Tiger Team”; second, “The Kansas City Team”; third, Deb and Jake Jacobsen. Seven Chili Cook-off teams participated.

In a town with a population of just 175, a 250-person turnout for any event is quite a feat to accomplish, but one held in the drizzling rain can be called nothing other than a great success.

Saturday morning of the alumni weekend got off to a great start with between 225 and 250 people hauling themselves out of bed to brave the mud for an “I Believe, We Believe” 5K Run/Walk.
The event was a fundraiser for Tanna Kingsbury, who was diagnosed this past spring with Ewing’s sarcoma, a very rare form of bone cancer.
Huge support for Tanna’s recovery was more than evident by the mere turnout of the event, even in less than ideal conditions. Her mother, Lynette, said a few words to the group of participants before the race, expressing her gratitude and giving a short update on Tanna’s battle for recovery.
Tanna was unable to attend the event. She has been undergoing treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls. She traveled back to Rochester on Monday to begin her sixth round of chemotherapy and received some good news that her tumor had shrunk considerably.

LYNETTE Kingsbury, Tanna’s mom (in orange), gives a big grin and a wave as she and the rest of the walkers round their first corner of the race.

She is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the tumor as soon as it is small enough, then will receive a number of radiation treatments, scheduled through fall.
Results of the 5K are as follows: 16 and under girls – first, Ashley Schmit; second, Maddie Miller; third, Molly Miller.
16 and under boys – first, Reed Overweg; second, Dillon Moore; third, Connor Morgan.
Adult female – first, Carla Snedeker; second, Missy Hoffman; third, Rachelle Moore.
Adult male – first, Marty Tukagi; second, Lyndon Overweg; third, Cory Flatten.