Creek Speak April 2017 | Page 45

Creek Clash: An Interview with Madi Stouder

By Ryleigh Thompson and Holly Chilson

Madi Stouder’s SCLA Capstone project is called “Creek Clash”. It is an event that gives teams bonding opportunities that focuses on hard work and commitment. After attending these events, the athletes have gained a new respect for themselves, and for their teammates. Many would say it has made their team stronger. The way that “Creek Clash” came about is a very inspirational story. Madi Stouder is a student athlete herself, participating in volleyball, swim team, track, and even cross country over the course of her high school career. While being involved in so many sports, Stouder has had personal experiences of not bonding with teammates, and not feeling like a team. She decided to turn these experiences into an event that would deal with just that – team bonding and commitment. Despite the strenuous amount of time and effort that Stouder has put into these events, she never gave up and kept pushing forward. It has taken about a year to get everything put together. Then, in May, 2016, Creek Clash was born.

Not only do these events benefit student athletes, they also fundraise for the Mountain States Children’s Home located in Northern Longmont. This home provides a safe, nurturing environment for children who have been through traumatic family situations, in the hopes to reunite and heal families. Their mission statement is, “Mountain States Children's Home extends Christian services to wounded children in an effort to meet their physical needs, heal their emotional hurts, challenge their minds and teach them moral principles, in order to reach the goals of reuniting them with their families or preparing for independence. This is accomplished utilizing a family model of care, strengthened by professional counselors and teachers.” Stouder found out about MSCH through attending Rocky Mountain Christian Church, where her mentor for this project introduced her to it. She really connected with MSCH and everything they stand for and do.

For the first event, Stouder was able to raise $500. Only one out of ten teams showed up, but the people who did attend had a lot of fun. The winter event that she hosted was able to bring in $900. Nine teams came and everyone participated in the activities. By setting these occasions up, she learned a lot about time management and organization. Her end goal is to raise $2000 total for Mountain State’s Children Home. So far, Stouder has gained $1400 to donate to the MSCH. Look out for ways you can help her get to the goal. There is one more event this year but after that, Stouder would definitely like Creek Clash to continue. She hopes that someone could make it even better than what she’s done. For now though, Stouder has done a great job of creating a successful program.