Rylie Stringer, Tonopah High School student athlete, holds fundraiser to pay for trip with America’s Team

When it comes to athletics, Tonopah High School student Rylie Stringer’s abilities span several sports and her skill in volleyball is such that this past summer, she caught the attention of America’s Team.

A program that takes high schoolers overseas to compete while simultaneously learning more about other cultures throughout the world, America’s Team has invited Rylie to join in a trip to Europe next summer to play on the volleyball team representing the USA. Though it will certainly be a pricey trip, a large portion of the cost of this experience is now covered, thanks to the generosity shown by the Tonopah community during a recent fundraiser held in Rylie’s honor.

Hosted Thursday, Sept. 24, the Salsa Competition and Cornhole Tournament took place at the Tonopah Elks Lodge and was hailed as a triumph by the Stringer family.

“The event was a huge success!” Rylie’s mother Shannon raved to the Times afterward. “We had 13 entrants for our salsa competition and 15 teams for the cornhole tournament. We were able to raise just over $4,000 of the $5,500 needed for the trip.”

Participation in the salsa competition was free and event attendees were able to sample the entries and act as judge for $5 each. Taking home first place in the salsa competition was Adam Thomas, while second place went to Robert Stalker and third went to Gerrid Pope.

For the cornhole tournament, teams of two were able to register for $20 and it was the team of Tony Carter and Anthony Guthridge who claimed the title of first place. Kevin Pope and Eric Reynoso took home second and Matthew Carter and Mitchell Miller won third.

In addition to the contests, there were a few tempting raffle prizes up for grabs, too. Purchased by the Stringer family specially for the event, these included a G Force 30-30 rifle, an Rtic cooler complete with two cases of beer, a Stanley Cup and a Hunter Loo. The evening’s lucky raffle winners were Zach Newell, whose ticket was pulled for the rifle, Jodi Miller, who won the cooler, Jennifer Callaway, who won the Stanley Cup and Duffy Otteson, who took home the Hunter Loo.

“We want to take a moment to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to every single person who helped make this fundraiser a success,” Shannon enthused. “To everyone who bought raffle tickets, thank you for supporting us and believing in this opportunity. Every ticket purchased made a difference. To everyone who made salsa and shared their time, recipes and talents, thank you for making the salsa competition so much fun and bringing our community together. Your generosity and hard work did not go unnoticed. To everyone who participated in the cornhole tournament, thank you for coming out, having fun, competing and most importantly, supporting our girl. Your participation helped make the day memorable.”

“And to everyone who donated, volunteered, helped set up or clean up, spread the word or simply showed up to support us, thank you,” Rylie added. “There are so many people who played a part in making this possible and we are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you. You gave us an opportunity, an experience and a chance to make a dream come true.”

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com