Third-grader carries Bobcats to victory in charity contest

Box Elder third-grade teacher Joyce Donoven had no idea one student would single-handedly carry the Bobcats to victory when she initiated a Cat-Griz canned food gathering contest.

"I call her the little cat that could," Donoven said of 9-year-old Aarianna Henry.

This was the first year Donoven had her third-graders partake in the canned-food charity contest. The main purpose was for students to learn about and apply themselves to community service, Donoven said.

The canned food, and money, raised were donated to the local Catholic church to be put in the pantry and dispersed as those working there saw fit. The contest was spread over the two weeks in November leading up to the anticipated Brawl of the Wild Cat-Griz football game Nov. 18.

Donoven said she knew the odds were stacked up against the little Bobcats in her classroom.

"This is very much a Griz-dominated area, so I certainly didn't expect the Cats to win. But I had a couple ideas of how to keep the Cats respectable," she said.

When the Bobcats were way behind, Donoven said she sent a picture of the scoreboard to a Bobcat alumni, asking, "CAN you help?" The alumni responded," Yes, I CAN," Donoven said.

Meanwhile, Aarianna was ferociously clawing away every day, collecting one can at a time.

"But what I didn't know is I didn't need that help. I had one little girl that brought in 200 cans just herself," Donoven said.

Aarianna said she really did not want the Bobcats to lose. She has two uncles who have attended Montana State University in Bozeman, she watches Bobcat football and just likes the Cats, a lot.

Aarianna gathered cans with daily perseverance.

"I went to all my aunties and grandpas and grandmas houses and I went to some of my cousins' houses, and just asked for cans if they had any that they weren't using and they let me have them," Aarianna said. "So then I bring them here so the Bobcats would win."

The Bobcats won with a total of 470 cans to the Griz's 283.

Aarianna is a competitor by nature, her mother, Misty Tatsey, and Donoven said. Tatsey, who is a first-grade teacher at Box Elder, said her daughter's drive during the can contest didn't surprise her, as she has always been a competitor.

Her mother is one of her role models, Aarianna said.

"I wanna be a champion barrel racer like my mom," Aarianna said.

Aarianna has recently won the all-around cowgirl award at the Charging Home Stampede Park youth rodeo. She was also a November student of the month, Donoven said.

Aarianna didn't know as of Wednesday, but a representative from MSU called Donoven after hearing about the contest results and wanted to know the 9-year-old's shirt size.