By RICHIE HALL
Anyone who has watched Abby Haley play basketball for Noblesville is aware that she is generous sharing the ball.
It should come as no surprise that Haley is just as generous off the court. Haley has given back quite a bit for Noblesville High School, serving as class president, playing basketball and participating in fundraisers, including one for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during her junior year.
Haley jumped right into student government and basketball once she entered NHS. She played basketball as a freshman, then was a varsity sophomore for the next three years. During her senior season, Haley averaged 2.8 assists per game for the Millers, leading the team in that category. Haley also played lacrosse for Noblesville as well.
While she was doing all that and keeping on top of her academics, Haley was getting elected as class president for the Class of 2020 her freshman, sophomore and junior year. During her senior year, she was the student body president.
It was a lot to do, of course, but Haley said she was able to balance everything through her family and friends, “who helped me get through it all.”
“It was a hard balance, especially being in such a demanding sport like basketball,” said Haley. “I had a good support team with student government, everyone’s been very helpful.”
Haley was involved in many different fundraisers through student government. That included canned food drives and a coat drive.
“We’ve done a fundraiser for the women’s shelter,” said Haley. “I’ve done a few things throughout high school, but a lot of it was through the school.”
Haley said she has been involved with fundraising since elementary school, and other people have taken notice of that over the years. During her junior year of high school, she was nominated for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Student of the Year fundraising challenge.
On her LLS page, Haley said that she decided to take on the challenge “for one simple reason – because I want to make a difference.” She has been personally affected, first when her friend and second-grade classmate Michael was lost to the disease. Haley said she was nominated by the Treinen family; Michael Treinen battled leukemia before passing away in 2008.
Haley said that the Treinens “influenced me to be a part of making a difference” on her LLS page. She also mentioned Megan Broviak, a Noblesville middle school student who is also battling leukemia.
“It is because of all of these strong and impactful people I am here to ask for your help and support,” Haley wrote on her LLS page.
And help they did. Haley raised nearly $80,000 for the society. It was an impressive sum, especially considering the short amount of time during which she raised the money. Haley had seven weeks, between Jan. 24 and March 16, 2019, to raise money.
Haley began to plan for the fundraising challenge in December 2018. “I just drafted a bunch of ideas,” she said.
One of the main things she did was publicize her LLS page, emailing out to friends and family. She also put together some fundraisers, such as a Purse Bingo night and a night a Buffalo Wild Wings, where a portion of sales went to the campaign.
“I did another fundraiser at one of the boys basketball games, where I had people donate the money and we had different sorts of food and prizes,” said Haley. “We had a jersey that was signed by the boys team, we had a basketball that was signed.” She also had cookies and desserts at the game as well, “different desserts that we would give to people,” said Haley.
When the fundraiser was over, Haley was shocked by the final total.
“It was so amazing,” said Haley, who never though she would come close to $80,000. “There were some people that I wasn’t very close with, but they also had a connection with cancer and wanted to do what they could to help me out and everyone that’s been affected by it.”
“It just makes me feel good to help with others, especially things that my friends and family have gone through,” said Haley.
Haley also got support from her basketball teammates as well. They attended the gala event at the end of the fundraiser, where it was revealed that Haley and her fellow Student of the Year nominees raised $700,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
“My team and my coaches were by my side through the entire thing and it was really great to have all those girls with me,” said Haley.
In addition to her work for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Haley also has worked with Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, once receiving an Outstanding Youth Achievement award from him.
Haley has done quite a bit for Noblesville High School and the community over the past four years. Now it’s on to college, and she will be going to Ivy Tech for her first year, “then will possibly be looking to transfer out elsewhere,” she said.
Haley plans to study construction management, and also is looking to get into coaching basketball.