Local Speed Skater Looks to Community to Compete Globally

A local speed skater is looking to the community to help her represent her country.

Hailey Leech, 18 years old and a resident of Crystal Lake, is fundraising for an upcoming tryout in August at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

She will compete at the United States Outdoor National Championship Trials as she attempts to qualify for one of six available spots on the Junior Women's United States Inline Speed Skating World Team. If Leech makes the team, she will travel to Italy in September for the World Championships.

Leech has been a member of the US Junior Women’s team the past three years (China 2009), Colombia (2010) a d Korea (2012).

Leech has joined forces with another skater from Illinois, Megan Gillis of Springfield, in her fundraising efforts. She is looking for local support of her fundraising efforts for 2012 with the purchase of a ticket for a Lottery Calendar Fundraiser.

Hailey Leech Lottery Calendar Fundraiser

Purchase a ticket for $10. Each ticket purchased has its own individual 3-digit number. If your ticket’s number matches the Illinois State Lottery Evening Pick 3 Drawing Number, you win the cash prize for that day. For every day in July, a cash prize will be awarded.

• July 4=$200
• July 7, 14, 21, 28=$150
• July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29=$125
• All other days in July=$75

For a $10 investment, ticket buyers have 31 chances to win.

For more information or to purchase a ticket, contact Hailey Leech at (815) 814-0937 or via email at jgibfeb67@aol.com.

Tickets on sales are open now through June 30. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold.