The Believers basketball teams of the Sugar Creek Missionary Baptist Church youth group and the Sugar Creek Christian Academy girls basketball team recently worked together to donate toys to children at the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.

“The toys were given to the sick children in their time of need,” Eric Bailey, coach of the Believers, said. “It’s one thing to have a competitive heart as a player, but I want kids who have a heart full of character and compassion for all.”

The girls of the teams collected new toys and traveled to Lexington to deliver them on Saturday, Oct. 17.

“This visit gave the girls an opportunity to give back. Our hope was that the gifts we brought may have taken a child’s mind off their illness for a day,” Bailey said. “Many of these kids spend weeks at a time in the hospital and don’t have their own toys or friends to play with. The girls were hoping this would give the children something to smile about.”

Before leaving the hospital, Bailey said the teams gathered around the big tree in the hospital playroom to pray for the children and their families.

“I want the players to realize how blessed they are. As a coach, seeing your players score a basket is nice, but seeing them score in life is a much greater feeling,” Bailey said. “The goal for the day had nothing to do with a round ball, but everything to do with being a blessing to someone else. I can only hope as these girls grow older, they will consider this day a victory to remember.”