By Matt Wilson

For the FCT

Phil Campbell received the Dr. Lawrence Lemak Award July 25 in Montgomery during the Championship Coaches’ banquet and now plans to use the money for the athletic program at the high school.

The award is given to 10 schools each year on a need-based criteria. Interested schools must apply by writing a request for the award explaining why they deserve the award.

Phil Campbell received $2,500 from the grant-based award and PCHS assistant principal Darit Riddle said the funds will go to the athletic department at the high school.

“We are really happy to have been awarded this money,” Riddle said. “We plan on putting that money towards the basketball programs as well as trying to get some weights into our new weight room.”

Riddle said he is especially thankful that Phil Campbell was awarded the money since fundraising has been difficult over the past three years.

“We’ve had a lack of fundraising for our programs at the high school, understandably, since the tornadoes back in 2011,” Riddle said.

“I just never felt comfortable asking for money from people in the community because there were so many who had their own situations they needed to deal with.”

Riddle said with the new high school being built, this money will allow them to start heading in the right direction.

“Now that we’re starting to get things back to normal, when the high school is finished in September, we can use this money to start with and get us moving,” Riddle said.

“We can start a little bit ahead and put this money into our new school.”

Riddle said he wrote the application in hopes that Phil Campbell might be awarded the money, but he wasn’t sure they would be selected.

“I just wrote the paragraph and explained our situation, sent it in and hoped for the best,” Riddle said.

“I’m glad that we were chosen and I know this is really going to help out.”

The Dr. Lawrence Lemak award is given in the name of Birmingham sports surgeon and orthopedist, Dr. Lawrence Lemak.