Small business shines a light on local female athletes
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Hamilton's towing is no stranger to South Bend, having served the community for a century, and in the last year or so, new owners took over the business and purchased a new building to further their efforts.
Co-owner Samantha Hensley, says the new building came with a gym, or at least, what could be a gym, and considering the lack of publicity for the city's hometown female athletes, Hensley says, a gym could be a great way to show them support.
"I am a woman in a man's industry. And I think a lot of sports are little girls growing into women in a men's industry. And I think it's important that somebody in the community says, we can make it. We can come from nothing, and we can build ourselves up. We have two Division One girls in there that came from what is looked at as the least popular school in South Bend, Indiana, and they made a division one because we don't need to put a label on a school. We need to put a label on our on our girls and our women, and we need to label them as, "YOU can do it," stated Hamiliton's Towing Co-Owner Samantha Hensley.
Two division one athletes came out today to help show that support.
Point Guards RaShunda Jones and Amiyah Reynolds both on Purdue Women's Basketball Team, were thrilled to take part today.
"It's definitely like, I'm always associated with South Bend, like you're from South Bend, you're from South Bend, Washington, you're one of the South Bend girls, and I carry it with pride, and it's something that I'm really happy to do, and being here and winning a state championship, here was one of the greatest memories I've had,' stated Amiyah Reynolds.
RaShunda Jones goes on to say, ""...just for us to be able to come back and give back to our community who poured into us, it just means a lot. Because there's not a lot of female athletes to do it as much as there is for the male aspect of it."
Today's event was a simple meet and greet with the lady ballers, serving the dual purpose of showing them support, while giving the local girl athletes a chance to see where the game might take them one day.