The Quincy University women’s basketball team is set for a unique and exciting experience this season, a trip to Hawaii. This trip is about more than just the games, but it is also about tradition and the power of community support.

This trip wasn’t free, so the team had to figure a way to pay for travel. The goal was clear, they sought to fundraise to make it possible for the Lady Hawks to travel to Hawaii. The opportunity to go to Hawaii isn’t just about playing in Hawaii but also a chance to grow closer and follow in the footsteps of the 1978 team.

When the 1978 team went to Hawaii it was a dream come true but in the 1970’s funding for female sports was much harder.

“That trip was one in a million in that time frame and in that era. Know we knew that it was going to take an awful lot of work. We had no university or college money so that was tough. But with the support of family and friends and the community we were able to reach our goal,” Sharlene Peter, 1978 Quincy College women’s basketball head coach, said.

The connection between past team and the present team is strong as the 1978 team has been supporting the current team on their mission of going to Hawaii. Some alumni of the team spoke about their struggles of fundraising for themselves and are now helping the current team since they know how tough it can be.

“When we went to Hawaii, we had to raise all of the funds ourselves. I don’t really remember the exact cost when we went but I know it was upwards of 600 dollars a person which is cheap now. These kids need the same thing, they need that experience and why would we not help them out,” Karen Kemme, alumni, said.

Players and coaches are very excited for this trip and opportunity to play and visit in Hawaii. But there is one player on the team that this trip means a lot more to than just basketball.

“I’m going to love it personally, my family out there has never seen me play a college basketball game, so it will be a tearjerker for me. I’m just super excited to give a little piece of my culture to QU and our team and I think it’s going to be really fun,” Kealani Neves, Hawaii native, said.

The support from the alumni has been a blessing for the current team and players have shown gratitude towards the 1978 team for the efforts of helping them fund the trip.

“Honestly this a is a blessing because we started last year trying to fund and it’s been a struggle and their help has been huge, and we just have a lot of gratitude towards them,” Cymirah Williams, senior forward, said.

The team still has three regular season games before they leave as coaches and players balance their focus between preparations for the trip and their on-court performance.