Proud to be an Iolan!
I wanted to thank not only Bob Johnson and the Iola Register for the wonderful plug on the 11 & under Iola Indians baseball team, but the entire Iola and surrounding community! Our car wash and bake sale was a huge success!
It was gratifying to see how a community rallies around their fellow people. I had a nice conversation with a girl that grew up here and lives abroad and was back visiting her mother. She said she missed the local “togetherness.” She hopes to be able to get back and raise her 3-year-old daughter here someday.
I told her that is why my husband and I left the hustle and bustle of corporate Kansas City 14 years ago and moved back to Iola to raise our children. We wanted our kids to grow up with the feeling of family not only from a “paternal” and “maternal” family, but a “community” family like Tom and I were fortunate to have growing up.
I also had a gentleman who gave us a large sum of money, because he believes in the youth so much.
I have seen him at the ball park since I was a little tyke and he still was umpiring there Sunday nights when I played in my women’s league games.
Iola has some major challenges ahead of it, but I know it will all work out, because ultimately we all want the same thing: What is best for Iola and the surrounding communities.
The boys went 3-1 at the state tournament which brings our season so far to 19-4. We are currently ranked No. 1 in Kansas USSSA 11A coaches poll and power ranking.
We are now gearing up for the USSSA World Series in Liberty, Mo. on July 13-17.
With everyone’s help we are able to give each team family two adult passes, the kids a world series T-shirt and get trading pins for the kids to trade with other kids from all around the region that say “Iola Indians – Iola, Kansas.”
We promise to represent Iola, Kansas with dignity and pride. And when asked where we are from, we will proudly say “Iola, Kansas”! What a blessing it is to be proud to say you are from Iola when people ask!
Sincerely,
Sharla (Heard) Miller
Iola, Kan.
