St. Charles drill teams get their kicks for charity

St. Charles East and North high schools are usually rivals when it comes football, but when it comes to kicking, the drill teams know how to work together. St. Charles East and North high schools will host their 18th annual Kick-A-Thon at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at St. Charles East High School, 1020 Dunham Road. A tailgate party begins at 5 p.m.During halftime of the sophomore and varsity Cross Town Classic football games, the drill team fund raises for the American Cancer Society in the Fox Valley and Living Well Cancer Resource Center in Geneva.#147;Last year we raised $75,000 and our goal is to raise more this year,#148; said Shirley Wehking, co-chairwoman of the Kick-a-Thon.Each member of the team asks a family member or friend to participate in kicking 100 kicks for cancer. The member then must raise $200 or $2 per kick.#147;The fundraiser first started before both schools split up 10 years ago at football games to raise enough money for uniforms,#148; said Wehking. #147;They made more money than needed, so the team started donating it to the charities.#148;This year, the team has reached a record number of kickers with 142 community kickers and 70 team members.#147;Some people have been kicking for 18 years,#148; Wehking said. #147;It#146;s a community #145;thank you.#146;#148;Both schools take turns hosting the Kick-a-Thon each year and also donate their time during the school year by providing a cooking class for cancer patients.#147;The drill team helps set up the tables and clean the area after the class,#148; said Wehking. The team has not only raised funds by going door to door, but also in front of stores and at football games. The total amount raised will be revealed in February at the crosstown basketball game.For details, visit kick-a-thon.org. Admission is free.