Girls and boys basketball teams and coaches from Spruce Mountain High School in Jay, left, and Leavitt Area High School in Turner, right, are seen Monday evening between games at the Phoenix Nest in Jay. More than $7,000 was raised during the games to help support youth impacted by suicide. As of Thursday, more than $9,000 had been raised. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

JAY — Sports teams have raised more than $9,000 to support The Kita Center, which operates summer camps for children who have lost a loved one to suicide, Regional School Unit 73 directors learned Thursday.

It was announced at the Jan. 9 meeting that basketball teams from Spruce Mountain and Leavitt Area high schools would be raising money for the center during the games Monday in Jay.

The Kita Center has held summer camps in Maine for years, free for children impacted by suicide.

Skylar Condon, a student representative to the board, said Camp Kita is a tuition free camp for children ages 8-17 who have lost a loved one to suicide.

“We are happy to report that with the games, concessions and raffle baskets they raised more than $7,000 for Camp Kita,” Condon said. “It costs about $500 for each person … so that will cover about 15 (people) to go.”

“That is pretty awesome,” Director Andrew Sylvester of Livermore said. “You raised $7,000 for 15 camp memberships. You should be very much applauded.”

Later, Spruce Mountain high school Principal TJ Plourde said more money had come in.

“We are a little over nine grand now,” he said. “It was a really good event. We got that mostly yesterday and this morning. Just super proud of the community that we live in. The amount that people give is always above and beyond what anybody could expect from a community. I am just really happy with that.”

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