Dear Editor,
We wanted to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Coach Kathy Healey, Assistant coaches, Mark Casper and Joe Chacke, and the entire Pittston Area Lady Patriot Basketball team on behalf of our daughter.
Ellie is a senior at Pittston Area. She has Down Syndrome. Ellie has participated with the Lady Patriots basketball team as a manager for the past two seasons.
On Feb. 6, Coach Healey helped make one of Ellie’s dreams come true. Ellie got to suit up with her teammates and got the opportunity to play a varsity game, with the support of the Coughlin girls’ basketball team. The love and support in the Coughlin gymnasium was magical. The sheer joy Ellie felt was only enhanced and reflected by her coaches, teammates, the Coughlin girls’ basketball team and the entire crowd.
Coach Healey made that happen. As a competitive coach, she strives to develop great players. However, her greater gift is helping develop great people. She told me that was honestly one of her best nights as a coach. The feeling was mutual. It was one of our best nights as parents.
We are so grateful for these past two years and all Ellie has experienced as a part of this team, both on and off the court. This group is a family that has provided unending love and support and has helped make Ellie’s world a bigger place.
We want to also thank the Sunday Dispatch for all your continued support of kindness and love within our community and insightful coverage of this wonderful team. There are so many other people who contribute to this team that we would never have time to mention so we just want to thank everyone involved.
You are an amazing group of people and we are so lucky to be a part of this organization and this community.
Eileen, Frank and Ellie Bartoli
