Alexis Naugle, left, and her sister, Michaela, manager and player, respectively, on the Selinsgrove Area High School girls basketball team, join Jason Kaufman, deputy
fire chief, outside the Dauntless Hook & Ladder Company on Tuesday. Kaufman is coordinating a charity basketball game to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon. SELINSGROVE — Twenty-nine years ago, Jason Kaufman was born three months premature. “If it wouldn’t be for Geisinger, I wouldn’t be talking to you today,” he said. That is why the deputy fire chief and president of the Dauntless Hook & Ladder Company has been passionately working to coordinate a charity basketball game to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon. It is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Selinsgrove Area High School. The game will pit the Selinsgrove varsity girls basketball team against Snyder County emergency services personnel, including representatives from all police departments, the DH&L fire department and ambulance and state police. In addition to the game, the emergency services group will hold a public safety day from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the high school, with Smokey Bear, Gruff the Crime Dog, fire trucks, ambulances, a Geisinger helicopter and a state police helicopter. There will be a bake sale and food stand, and door prizes will be given out during the basketball game. A raffle will be held with prizes including hotel rooms. Because the fire department has to ask the community for donations, Kaufman said he wants to see the department give back to residents through this event.
“We want to raise as much money as possible to give to the telethon, have a fun day and try to make it an educational day for the community,” he said.