Sponsorships help Yerby-Vick Scholarship
expand to include more students
expand to include more students
By Bruce Rolfe
While each person’s journey with cancer is different, the Carol Vick Memorial Game at Climax-Scotts Jr./Sr. High School has one goal—helping a local resident battling cancer through the journey.
The 9th Carol Vick Memorial game has been scheduled for Friday, February 6, in between the girls and boys varsity basketball games against Colon. The girls varsity game begins at 5:30 p.m.
This year’s Memorial Game Guest of Honor is Kurt Tribbett and his family.
Event organizer Josh Vick forwarded the following information about Kurt’s journey with cancer and an update:
Many in the Battle Creek area will recognize Coach Tribbett as the former head girls’ varsity basketball coach for Calhoun Christian High School. Tribbett is also the father of 2019 C-S graduate and junior high volleyball coach Ellie Tribbett Graham.
Coach Kurt Tribbett was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2021. After further tests, he was informed that his cancer was stage IV non-small cell cancer. Tribbett then underwent years of treatment to fight the cancer. In September 2025, he was informed that he was in remission! In fact, from scans earlier this fall, the coach found out that he is still in remission.
Vick adds the community was very sad to learn that last year’s Carol Vick Memorial Game Guest of Honor Paul Barton passed away last weekend.
“I just wanted to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Paul Barton, last year’s guest of honor, who passed away this weekend. Paul was a good man who was taken far too early.
When we spoke last year before the game, Paul stressed the importance of early detection and following the recommended guidelines for routine checkups. He fought bravely despite much hardship. His courage is an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed,” said Vick.
Jack Pearl Sports will be selling apparel at the February 6 event.
Money raised at this annual event goes towards the purchase of student-athlete and coaches uniforms, the guest of honor and their families to help pay for medical expenses, and the Yerby-Vick Perseverance Scholarship.
Yerby-Vick Scholarship Expanding
Last year’s Vick-Yerby scholarship winners were Nicole Wygant and George Murphy from Climax-Scotts High School and Taryn Carter from Colon High School.
Vick said organizers of the event are expanding the scholarship program to include students from Atlanta High School (Where Vick attended and graduated from) as well.
“We have secured sponsorships from that community to help fund the program. Our goal is to positively impact as many families as possible with the funding we have available to us,” explained Vick.
When the event started eight years ago, C-S and Colon teamed up to host a Carol Vick Memorial game in Colon and one at C-S. Money raised at each event benefitted families within the two communities who have been impacted by cancer.
While it has been a few years since Colon has hosted its own memorial game, Vick said C-S enjoys Colon’s partnership in the game played at C-S.
Vick said the purpose of the game is to inspire hope to local families and remind them they are not alone.
The Carol Vick Memorial game is named after former C-S girls varsity basketball coach and current C-S High School Language Arts teacher Josh Vick’s mother, who was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 1995 when Josh was 15 years old. She died six years later after she was told she would live six months.
Vick said his mother received outstanding medical care from the University of Michigan, and feels strongly they contributed to helping her survive for so long. But the C-S High School teacher also feels it was the community of Atlanta, Michigan, where he grew up, and the community of cancer survivors from all across the state and country who called her, wrote to her, visited her, prayed with her, sent the family food, and simply refused to quit checking in on the family each and every single day that gave his mother the belief that she could make it one more day. And then another. And then another.
Josh’s mother passed away on January 19, 2001.
Many Sponsors
Blue Sponsors ($250)
Nick Spano Trucking/JD’s Pizza (Atlanta), Weber Family (Atlanta), Kristin Wykoski State Farm, Vick Family (from Atlanta), The Grizzlies (from Atlanta), Professional Muffler and Brake, Myers Farm, Morrison Landscaping, Sturgis Bank, Vandegiessen Trucking.
Gold Sponsors ($500)
Climax-Scotts Band Boosters, Bartholomew Heating and Cooling, JJ Sheet Metal, Lysters, The Max and Beulah Bradley Family, Patterson Trucking.
While each person’s journey with cancer is different, the Carol Vick Memorial Game at Climax-Scotts Jr./Sr. High School has one goal—helping a local resident battling cancer through the journey.
The 9th Carol Vick Memorial game has been scheduled for Friday, February 6, in between the girls and boys varsity basketball games against Colon. The girls varsity game begins at 5:30 p.m.
This year’s Memorial Game Guest of Honor is Kurt Tribbett and his family.
Event organizer Josh Vick forwarded the following information about Kurt’s journey with cancer and an update:
Many in the Battle Creek area will recognize Coach Tribbett as the former head girls’ varsity basketball coach for Calhoun Christian High School. Tribbett is also the father of 2019 C-S graduate and junior high volleyball coach Ellie Tribbett Graham.
Coach Kurt Tribbett was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2021. After further tests, he was informed that his cancer was stage IV non-small cell cancer. Tribbett then underwent years of treatment to fight the cancer. In September 2025, he was informed that he was in remission! In fact, from scans earlier this fall, the coach found out that he is still in remission.
Vick adds the community was very sad to learn that last year’s Carol Vick Memorial Game Guest of Honor Paul Barton passed away last weekend.
“I just wanted to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Paul Barton, last year’s guest of honor, who passed away this weekend. Paul was a good man who was taken far too early.
When we spoke last year before the game, Paul stressed the importance of early detection and following the recommended guidelines for routine checkups. He fought bravely despite much hardship. His courage is an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed,” said Vick.
Jack Pearl Sports will be selling apparel at the February 6 event.
Money raised at this annual event goes towards the purchase of student-athlete and coaches uniforms, the guest of honor and their families to help pay for medical expenses, and the Yerby-Vick Perseverance Scholarship.
Yerby-Vick Scholarship Expanding
Last year’s Vick-Yerby scholarship winners were Nicole Wygant and George Murphy from Climax-Scotts High School and Taryn Carter from Colon High School.
Vick said organizers of the event are expanding the scholarship program to include students from Atlanta High School (Where Vick attended and graduated from) as well.
“We have secured sponsorships from that community to help fund the program. Our goal is to positively impact as many families as possible with the funding we have available to us,” explained Vick.
When the event started eight years ago, C-S and Colon teamed up to host a Carol Vick Memorial game in Colon and one at C-S. Money raised at each event benefitted families within the two communities who have been impacted by cancer.
While it has been a few years since Colon has hosted its own memorial game, Vick said C-S enjoys Colon’s partnership in the game played at C-S.
Vick said the purpose of the game is to inspire hope to local families and remind them they are not alone.
The Carol Vick Memorial game is named after former C-S girls varsity basketball coach and current C-S High School Language Arts teacher Josh Vick’s mother, who was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 1995 when Josh was 15 years old. She died six years later after she was told she would live six months.
Vick said his mother received outstanding medical care from the University of Michigan, and feels strongly they contributed to helping her survive for so long. But the C-S High School teacher also feels it was the community of Atlanta, Michigan, where he grew up, and the community of cancer survivors from all across the state and country who called her, wrote to her, visited her, prayed with her, sent the family food, and simply refused to quit checking in on the family each and every single day that gave his mother the belief that she could make it one more day. And then another. And then another.
Josh’s mother passed away on January 19, 2001.
Many Sponsors
Blue Sponsors ($250)
Nick Spano Trucking/JD’s Pizza (Atlanta), Weber Family (Atlanta), Kristin Wykoski State Farm, Vick Family (from Atlanta), The Grizzlies (from Atlanta), Professional Muffler and Brake, Myers Farm, Morrison Landscaping, Sturgis Bank, Vandegiessen Trucking.
Gold Sponsors ($500)
Climax-Scotts Band Boosters, Bartholomew Heating and Cooling, JJ Sheet Metal, Lysters, The Max and Beulah Bradley Family, Patterson Trucking.
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