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Youth football team raises money to travel for tournament, wins
Community generosity allowed the Minnesota Jays not only to travel and compete, but win.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Jays returned home Tuesday morning after competing in a D1 Nation national youth football tournament in Atlanta over the weekend.
It took 17 hours to drive back to north Minneapolis., yet on Tuesday afternoon, the team met with KARE 11 to show off a new trophy and share a message of gratitude.
“Came back with a trophy,” said Zaakr Clark, who plays quarterback and cornerback. “We went into overtime and I threw the game-winning touchdown.”
“He threw a perfect pass and our receiver just went up and got it,” added Coby Stearns, one of their coaches.
The outcome is especially heartwarming, considering just weeks before the Jays left for the fall tournament, they couldn’t afford the trip – even though they’d earned a spot there because they were the champions back in spring.
“So, we did a fundraiser,” Clark said.
“Yeah, we were raising money,” Clark’s aunt Lavina Jackson said.
A single parent whose son also plays for the team, Jackson says they went door-knocking and bagged groceries in addition to posting an online fundraiser.
“We went over our goal, which is great,” Jackson said. “Thankful and very blessed for everyone who donated.”
The goal was $8,000 but $13,845 was raised.
“Yes, it’s a football team but it’s so much more than that,” Jackson said. “It’s the foundation to get us to where we want to be as developing our youth and our young men to get them on the right path for success. These are our future doctors, lawyers, football players.”
At this point in their lives, they indeed have football dreams:
“Make it to college and then try to go D1.”
“I would probably want to go for, like, best lineman in the nation.”
“Just trying to keep my team safe and get D1 Nation.”
The Jays returned from a cold and windy Atlanta to a snowless Minnesota. They’re now on winter break for two weeks, and they plan to remain active. Tuesday afternoon, they were already watching and critiquing their highlight reels, and thinking ahead to the spring season.
“We as a coaching staff, we came together and gave the boys a goal — like start with 50 pushups a day,” Stearns said.
“Oh yeah,” Clark said. “I still gotta train.”
And just as soon as they returned, parents and coaches launched a new fundraiser called Help Us Help Them.
They say they work with more than 100 boys, and equipment like helmets, shoulder pad straps and mouth guards are needed. They’d also like to travel again in spring, with hopes of getting a team bus for all age groups instead of having to drive separately. That would allow for more team-building opportunities, they said.
If you’d like to contribute, click here.
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Tonya Yarmakov, 23, was reported missing from Savanna State Park on Sept. 4.
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — On Friday night, a Minnesota college held a vigil for a woman reported missing more than two weeks ago.
St. Olaf College in Northfield hosted a candlelight vigil for 23-year-old Tonya Yarmakov, who was last seen on Sept. 4 while camping with her family in Savanna State Park near McGregor, Minnesota.
The Aikin County Sheriff’s Office said family members allegedly told authorities they left Yarmakov alone on a dock as they went fishing, and around noon, saw her get up and run away.
She is 5 feet tall and has dark brown hair. The sheriff said she was last seen wearing a rainbow tie-dyed t-shirt, gym shorts, black shoes and black headphones.
Yarmakov has autism and Type 1 diabetes, causing greater concern for her welfare, authorities said.
Officials said they’ve used drones, dogs and planes to search for the missing woman.
If you have information about Yarmakov’s current whereabouts, the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office urges you to contact them at 218-927-7435 or call 911.
Saturday’s event includes helpful resources for caregivers and anyone impacted by dementia.
MINNEAPOLIS — Thousands of people are pouring into downtown Minneapolis Saturday morning for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Twin Cities.
KARE 11’s Karla Hult is emceeing the walk – one of the largest walks in the country, with 7,000 to 10,000 people attending – along with Gabi Del Moral of Telemundo Minnesota.
“Those of us who know Alzheimer’s or another dementia, also know this disease can feel so overwhelming and isolating,” said Hult, whose dad finished his Alzheimer’s marathon in 2019.
“It’s why I’ve always cherished the Walk to End Alzheimer’s,” Hult said. “There’s just nothing like connecting with a stadium full of people who understand how it feels to live with this cruel disease. Together, we find incomparable empathy and support. Together, we find new strength to fight. And together, we find the joy that still exists during the journey.”
The event includes helpful resources for caregivers and anyone impacted by dementia.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, money raised from the event provides local support groups, classes and resources at no cost to Minnesota families. The Alzheimer’s Association is also a significant champion and supporter of critical dementia research, including research projects currently happening in Minnesota.
This year the goal is to raise $1.5M through the event.
More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide unpaid care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Minnesota alone, there are 101,000 people living with Alzheimer’s and 164,000 unpaid caregivers support them.
Two men died in the hospital and three others suffered injuries after gunfire rang out downtown.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police are investigating after five people were shot, two fatally, in downtown Minneapolis.
Officers were called to the area around 5th Street and Hennepin Avenue just before 2 a.m. Saturday for a report that several small groups fighting had escalated into gunfire.
Police report five people were shot. Two men, aged 20 and 21, were taken to the hospital where they later died, according to officials. Three women, two aged 16 and 17 and another woman, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said one person was taken into custody and will be booked for “Probable Cause Riot.”
A handgun was recovered from the scene, police said.
KARE 11 will update this story as more information is made available.
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