For the Rapids City Times

PORT EDWARDS – Port Edwards’ Addison Gibbs, Kaitlyn Lyp, and Jade Martin have been selected to play in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Star Games held this June.

Martin and Lyp are members of the Division 5 North Girls All-Star Team coached by Port Edwards head girls basketball coach Deb Martin, assisted by husband Tim Martin.  Gibbs is a member of the Division 5 Red Boys All-Star Team.

“It is an honor to be chosen as a player or a coach in the WBCA All-Star games as this event showcases seniors of each division who possess great talent and tremendous character,” said Girls Head Coach Deb Martin.

The WBCA All-Star games started back in 1978 and each year the purpose of these games is to raise funds to help fight against childhood cancer.  Since 1978, the WBCA has donated over $2.8 million to the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer fund in an effort to combat childhood cancer.  When the games started, the success rate of saving a child with cancer was down near 10 percent.  Now, with the help of the WBCA All-Star games and many others, the success rate of saving a child is up to around 80 percent.

The games will take place on June 14, for the girls, and June 15, for the boys, at JustAgame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells.  With Deb Martin as head coach of the girls Division 5 North Team, Port Edwards will host the rest of the Division 5 North All-Stars in Port Edwards for practices June 9-11.  Ryan Klein, head girls coach at Assumption High School also serves as assistant coach with Martin and her husband. Assumption senior Elle Leberg will also join Jade Martin and Kaitlyn Lyp on the girls D5 North Team.

If you would like to make a donation to support any of these players or coaches in their efforts to fight childhood cancer please visit  http://www.wisbca.org/allstar-game/donation-banner. For questions on the games, contact Deb Martin at 715-909-0110 or martide@pesd.k12.wi.us.