High school holds special basketball skills event

For most people, March Madness is about college basketball games, but at Garner High School it means something else.

Yes, Garner's boys basketball team is preparing for a state championship appearance on Saturday evening, but Friday's March Madness was not about the basketball team. It was about the students who participate in the school's adaptive physical education program.

"The administration wanted to know if we wanted a pep rally, and it just so happened to work out that we had March Madness with our adaptive PE classes. I just thought that would be a great way for our kids to be involved in their activity," Garner basketball coach Eddie Gray said. "We didn't want to take away from that."


Members of Garner's student body – including athletes like Nyheim Hines, an NC State football recruit – suited up for "The Scrubs" team. Then the members of the adaptive PE class were announced and entered the floor through a banner with the crowd cheering and the band playing. There was even a performance of the national anthem.

"It just shows you how Garner is a complete community. We have one of the greatest student bodies that there is, and I just thought it was a great way for our kids to really appreciate the fact that they're representing this school," Gray said.

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4-year-old artist Cosette Swart blows our mind and explodes our hearts

Cosette Swart is a delightful child full of joy and grace. She inspires her parents and others to see the world through a different light. We often feel that we can't make a difference, that we don't have enough money, time or talent to make a real change. Cosette isn't bothered by the fact that she can't change the whole world, instead she focuses on what she can do. Her plan will tangibly change some people's lives, and that is something worth doing.

Cosette's plan began  when she was informed to the sad truth, many people around the world die because they do not have enough food to eat. With the innocence of a child, she wanted to help some of these people and so a plan was made. With the help of her parents she decided to start saving money in a jar to put towards purchasing a cow  for people in need.  They began to brainstorm ways she could earn some money and it didn't take long for them to come up with the idea to try and sell some of her paintings.  Friends, family, and friends of friends have been so generous and encouraging helping to make  this plan a reality.

As Cosette began to paint, the interest was incredible. From around May to August she raised  $1900 for world vision. She was able to buy a cow, a sheep and an alpaca. She also purchased a Mongolian Ger, a traditional one-room dwelling, constructed of durable felt-lined canvas stretched over a wooden frame and floor to withstand sever weather.