Firelands donates bus for Blue Streaks

SANDUSKY — They didn't necessarily cruise to victory. But they sure did coast to and from their game in style. On Saturday, Firelands Health provided a charter bus so the Sandusky Blue Streaks boys basketball team could comfortably ride to and from their regional championship game at the University of Toledo's Savage Arena. The Sandusky-based health care organization, which prides itself on giving back to community agencies and institutions, wanted to do something special for this historic run. Firelands Health donated the bus, meaning the school district didn't cover any cost associated with this trip. "I have personally watched these boys play for the last four years and am really proud of all they and Coach (DeMar) Moore have accomplished," Firelands Health's CEO Jeremy Normington-Slay said. Following their win against Lima Shawnee — a Division III regional championship — the Blue Streaks advanced in the tournament, reaching their first-ever final four. Sandusky plays No. 2 Cincinnati Aiken (25-1) in a state semifinal contest at 3 p.m. Sunday at Wright State University in Dayton. The Blue Streaks (19-7) are ranked No. 8 in Division III by MaxPreps. Garfield Heights (24-2) plays Louisville (22-5) at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Canton Field House in the other semifinal. Before departing for Toledo, Firelands Health representatives Dru Meredith and Justin Harris visited with the team. They wished the Streaks well and provided them with snacks and fruit along with some Gatorade. They're an "amazing group of young men," said Meredith, the organization's vice president of operations. Harris, meanwhile, serves as vice president of legal services. "We pulled this off very fast," Meredith said. "It was a great experience." District officials expressed their deepest appreciation for Firelands' generosity. "It's overwhelming. It's not something we solicited for or reached out. Firelands just offered it, and we graciously accepted," Sandusky's interim athletic director Steve Camella said. "We are thankful for what they offered, and it was a real comfortable ride there and certainly was a very comfortable ride coming home, based on the fact we returned with some hardware."