Setting goals for yourself and achieving them is a feeling like no other. For senior Aiden Kendall, his achieving goal was being selected to participate in the Kansas Shrine Bowl.

The Kansas Shrine Bowl is a non-profit charity football game. The organization selects student athletes from eastern and western Kansas to play one another. All the funds of this event helps to raise funds and awareness for the Shriners Hospital for Children. All selected players are voted upon by social media engagement and by the coaching staff that will be officiating the game. Kendall is the tenth student athlete from Newton to ever be invited to participate in the game.

“It feels amazing to be selected, especially from a smaller town,” Kendall said.

Kendall received the overwhelming news via a phone call from his football coach.

“I was in my living room with my mom when I received a call from Chris Jaax and he told me that the west team for the Shrine bowl had selected me to play for them,” Kendall said. “I was super excited and called several members of my family to relay the great news.”

The 48th annual Shrine Bowl will take place on Jun. 26 in Hutchinson at Gowans Stadium

“I don’t know if I fully believed that I would play in the Shrine Bowl when I was younger,” Kendall said. “Ever since my freshman year it was my goal so I began to believe in it a little more and all the hard work finally paid off.”