Wednesday,
January 26, 2011
One Clap for Zach
Although I was born in
Fargo, ND, my parents moved to Perham, MN, when I was less than six
months old. I graduated from
school in Perham after participating in football, basketball and baseball. Even
though I haven't technically lived full time in Perham for over 15 years,
when asked where I'm from or where 'home' is, I quickly respond,
"Perham."
Generally people will say, "Oh."
That means they have no idea where it is.
So, I will say, "Do you know where
Detroit Lakes is?"
Some answer yes, saying they've been to
WE FEST.
If they don't say yes, I’ll say, "Well,
it's about an hour east of Fargo."
That generally at least gives them an idea of
where the town of just under 2,500 is located. The Lakes Area is really busy
during the summer months, to be sure.
Last Thursday, while I was trying to stay
warm inside, writing a blog here about the weather conditions in Warroad, the
Perham high school boys basketball team was playing in
Dilworth. The Yellowjackets went into the game with a
record of 11-0 and ranked fourth in the state in AA. It wasn't long before none
of that seemed too important.
Zach Gabbard, a
17-year-old starter who had led the team in scoring three of the past four
games, was running down the court. Suddenly, he had a heart attack and
collapsed to the floor. A Perham doctor who had made the trip came onto
the court and performed CPR until paramedics got there. Players were sent
to the locker rooms and fans were cleared from the gym.
He was taken to Sanford Medical Center
in Fargo where he had to go through heart surgery. He remained in critical
condition, but on Sunday, he was able to be flown down to the University of
Minnesota hospital where he is showing more signs of responsiveness.
I don't know Zach Gabbard.
He was born the same year that I graduated from high school. This is a
story that you read in the newspaper. It's something that happened to Hank
Gathers from Loyola Marymount in the late '80s. It isn't supposed to happen so
close to home.
The Perham community has come together. High
school basketball teams across the state and further have expressed their
concern and best wishes. His CaringBridge site has already been viewed nearly 69,000
times, and many have left messages. There have been community gatherings for
thoughts and prayers for Zach and his family. His family has been updating the
journal, and they continue to thank all the supporters for the well wishes and
prayers.
As you can imagine, the medical costs will be
very high for the family. A fund has been set up at United Community Bank in
Perham to help his family defray medical costs. Donations can be made at any
UCB location (Perham, Frazee and Dean's Country Foods in Perham) in the
name of the Zach Gabbard Fund. Others can feel free
to send money to United Community Bank at 155 Second Street SW, Perham,
MN 56573.
Also, t-shirts have been designed to help
show support for Zach and his family. One Clap for Zach (www.OneClapForZach.com) was set up by
Perham's 9th grade coach and assistant varsity coach Brent Hanson who has
coached Zach for a long time in various youth programs. The proceeds from the
t-shirt will also go to the Zach Gabbard Fund.
If there is anyone that can understand what
Zach and his family are going through, it is Brent Hanson (of BrentNet) and
his parents. When he was in high school, he was playing basketball one
day, and he blacked out. It was a heart attack. He has a
defibrillator in his chest to remind him of that day and how precious life
is. Ironically, when Hanson was coaching Zach in 6th grade, five years ago,
Hanson had his
second cardiac arrest.
As if it matters, the Perham boys basketball returned to the court on Tuesday night and
played their first game since the Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton game had been
postponed. The team made the long trek to Barrett, where they took on West
Central Area. For what it is worth, they improved to 12-0 with a 63-13 win.
According to the post-game article by John
George of LakesAreaSports.com, it was an emotional night for the
players.
“Running
out for warm-ups gave me the chills,” Jordan Cresap
said. “The support from both teams was unbelievable. It was one of
the most emotional experiences of my life. We knew Zach was right there
with us, and we played our hearts out in his honor.”
The
emotions were running high, in the locker room, on the court, and in the
stands.
“It
took a little while,” Jordan Bruhn said of getting his emotions under
control. “The crowd really appreciated us. It was the most Perham
people I’ve seen on the road. It was great.”
Mark
Schumacher carried Gabbard’s jersey with him during the pre-game
announcements, and the team kept the No. 3 jersey with them on the bench
through the game.
“We
felt him there,” Schumacher said. “Coach (Dave) Cresap
said in the locker room, ‘Like the Marines, we don’t leave a man
behind. We’re going to put Zach on our backs and carry him the rest of the
year.’ We truly did that tonight. Everyone in that gym felt him there
with us.”
<snip>
“We
talked to Steve, his dad, and his breathing went up during the game,” Bruhn
said. “He (Zach) knew we were out there for him. And we knew he was
with us.”
This is one of those stories that you hope never
happens, but it does. Zach Gabbard is doing his part.
He is fighting. His family is doing what they can. They are with their son.
There are a lot of people wishing them all well and praying for them.
To read updates on Zach, click here.
To leave comments for Zach, click
here. Please also visit the One Clap for Zach site where
you can donate directly, or purchase a t-shirt with proceeds
all going to the Zach Gabbard Fund.
In
addition, I will keep pre-ordered copies of my Minnesota Twins
Prospect Handbook - 2011 available for another day (through
Wednesday). I have been asking for $14.95 per book for the pre-order. For every
book that I get a pre-order sale for, I will donate $2, and any amount
over $14.95 per book will also be donated. In other words, if you pre-order a
book and send me $14.95, I will donate $2. If you pre-order a book and send me
$16.95, I will donate $4. If you have any question on how to pre-order,
please e-mail me.
If you would like, please feel free to e-mail
me or leave
your comments here.