Claysburg-Kimmel's Bailey Garver Recognized With Blair Co. Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship

Claysburg-Kimmel Senior Bailey Garver was one of two local students to receive a scholarship from The Blair County Sports Hall of Fame.

The other senior, also from the Cove, was Central's Parker Gregg.

"This scholarship is going to be a huge benefit to my college tuition," Garver said. "It is a great prize to receive and a very prestigious award. The best of the best receive it."

Garver said that her guidance counselor came to her one day and told her to fill out a paper.

"I said there is no way that I am going to receive this because there are so many talented people in Blair County," Garver said. "When I got the call that I received it, I was in complete shock."

Sports career

Garver was a four-year starter in volleyball and basketball. She lettered in both every year. Freshman year, Garver lettered in softball.

She also was chosen for the all-star team in basketball. During this time, she even played with a torn ACL.

"It made it seem like I wasn't forgotten," Garver said. "Even though I wasn't able to play in the all-star game, I was still chosen to be on the team and I got to shoot the foul shot."

Academic focus

Garver said that in ninth grade, she decided to dedicate herself to school.

"Up until ninth grade, I worked hard but I didn't put my full effort in," Garver said. "When I decided to put my full effort in, I eventually reached third in my class. Since then, I have been on and off with second place."

Garver said that she likes to become involved within the community including two community service projects that she is working on. One of them is Hunger Heroes.

"We have given $10,000 in food donations this year," Garver said.

Garver continued that she is involved with a lot of clubs at school including student council and National Honor Society (NHS).

Garver was inducted into NHS in tenth grade. She was elected president this year.

After high school, she plans on going to college though she hasn't decided where yet. She plans on becoming a physician assistant.

FBLA participation

When Garver was in ninth grade, her sister was in FBLA, which involved travel, projects and conferences. Garver was inspired to also join.

In tenth grade Garver applied for vice president at large after she had won a couple of state championships. She decided that she wanted to be a state officer. During her junior year, she was picked for first vice president.

Garver said that the team won first place in the state for their community service project.

"It is recognition for how hard we worked and how much we have done for our community," said Garver.

The project was a food handout. They went to Richard Allison's farm and cooked ten different pastas. The team also made a tutorial video on that for those who wouldn't know really how to make those types of pastas. Then, they packaged up about forty quarts. They took these into the community to hand out.

The team also held a food drive throughout the elementary and high schools.

"We had each grade bring in a food item in preparation for the Christmas dinners that we wanted to give out," said Garver.

Each grade brought in a different assigned food item. They collected a total of 3,000 items.

"Our plan was to give out 50 Christmas dinners, but with how much we had collected, we gave out 80 Christmas dinners," Garver said.

FBLA also had food handouts throughout the year, which included pies and fruit baskets.

"At the basketball games, we held a Hunger Heroes basketball night," Garver said. "We gave them (the crowd) vouchers to use at the concession stands. We threw Bedford Candy's popcorn to the crowd."

Garver sums it up by saying that Claysburg is a great community.

"Just being able to serve the community gives me so much joy," Garver said.