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Warner Robins principals team up for fundraiser to get new wheelchairs for Houston County Sharks

Christy Jones and Steve Roberson with the Houston County Sharks say some of their wheelchairs are 14 years old.

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Principals at two schools are teaming up to help the Houston County Sharks! It's something the Pandas and Bulldogs have been working on for the last few months.

The Houston County Sharks are an adapted sports team for Georgia children. They compete in three sports: wheelchair handball, basketball, and football.

"You've got to go watch them play! Not to just see them win because that's what they do best, but you need to see them. It just brings joy to your life," said David Perdue Elementary principal, Andy Payne.

But the Sharks are booster-less; meaning they don't have anyone raising money for them. So, the Bulldogs of David Perdue Elementary School and the Pandas at David Perdue Primary want to be their boosters.

"We want our community to be the booster club. We want the community to step up. Let's give back to a young group of men and women who are excelling in sports," said Payne.

"We try to teach our pandas to be nice and kind and part of that is how can we support other people and teach other people to serve," said David Perdue Primary principal, Kathy Gibbs.

Gibbs and Payne are asking for your help in raising money for wheelchairs.

"It's just an opportunity to support a small group of children that are at every school, middle school and high school within our school district; and just for those Sharks to see other people seeing them and wanting to invest in who they are," said Gibbs.

Christy Jones and Steve Roberson with the Houston County Sharks say some of their wheelchairs are 14-years-old.

"They get warped, they get bent just from playing all the time just like any other sport equipment you use; and so, giving our kids the opportunity to get a new chair makes them move faster, makes them more competitive, gets us excited watching them, so it means the world to the kids and us," said Jones.

"It just shows the love this county has for the Sharks and the program that the administrators are so generous enough to think about doing this for us. It just means a lot; and they're going to just be ecstatic," said Roberson.

"These young men and women play in these sports. We can give back to them and make their lives happy and them in turn making our lives happy, watching them," said Payne.

The goal is to raise enough money to buy one, if not two, wheelchairs for the Sharks. One wheelchair can cost about $4,200 and they have 20 athletes. 10 play on the varsity team and 10 play on the junior varsity team.

The deadline to donate is May 13. To donate, call David Perdue Elementary School at (478) 988-6350.

Since 2007, the Houston County Sharks have won 30 state championships.

You can watch them play May 7 at Mundy's Mills High School in Jonesboro, The Houston County Sharks JV team plays at 10 a.m.; and if they win, they play in the championship at noon. 

The Houston County Sharks Varsity team plays at noon; and if they win, they play in their championship at 2 p.m.

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