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East Texas Elite Sports holds gift drive to benefit nursing home


East Texas Elite Sports holds gift drive to benefit nursing home

East Texas Elite sports members work on Christmas cards Monday to accompany bagged gifts to be delivered to local nursing homes in Diboll.

East Texas Elite Sports, a local multi-sport academy, held its first gift drive this year, delivering stockings filled with essential items to residents of the Diboll Nursing and Rehabilitation home.

Coaches and players gathered at The Front Porch in Diboll Monday to wrap gifts, which included shampoo, deodorant, lotions and perfumes. The stockings were aimed to brighten the holiday season for senior citizens who might otherwise feel overlooked.

We've had this academy for 11 years, and throughout that time we've always wanted to do this, to give back to the community," said Guadalupe Compean, director of East Texas Elite Sports. "With three clubs now and people willing to do it, we decided to go ahead and do it."

The academy was founded 11 years ago by Laura and Guadalupe Compean to provide volleyball opportunities for young athletes in Diboll and surrounding areas. Throughout the years, it has expanded to include other sports and now has eight volleyball teams, two soccer teams and two baseball teams.

"It's the season of giving, and oftentimes kids, especially younger ages, don't realize that giving is what's important and not just receiving," said Ariana Compean, a coach and daughter of the academy's founders. "This is a great opportunity for them to see and witness that. Some of their parents are here, as well, so to have support from them and their coaches is important."

For many of the athletes, this is their first time volunteering for an event like this. Coach Shardnea Rayson, who played in the academy, highlighted the value of community involvement.

"There are so many people who pour into our club, and we know that nursing homes are sometimes overlooked," Rayson said. "Giving back to them and showing them that even though they aren't with family, we can still be the ones to be there and love them."

This event marks the club's first gift drive, but the spirit of community service isn't new to East Texas Elite Sports. In the past, the academy has hosted fundraisers and tournaments to help families in need and support players' dreams to compete professionally. The gift drive is something the academy plans to continue annually.

"It's been fun getting the girls together to do something to give back," Ariana said. "I hope that this can inspire other organizations to take part in giving back to the community."

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