A sea of blue at recent Atlantic activities has a deeper meaning, 

On Sept. 18th at 7:23 pm Grace Pauley (15), a sophomore at AHSTW, was in a car accident. Pauley was driving a 2005 Trailblazer that went out of control, overcorrected, and rolled over into the ditch.

“My heart hurts for Grace and her family,” said Heather McKay, the AHS principal. McKay learned about Pauley over Facebook and began emailing other staff on Sept. 23, 2023, to plan something to show support. The theme for that week’s volleyball and football games was dedicated “Blue Out” in honor of Pauley’s favorite color.

The blue decorations for both games were done by AHS Fuel. The AHS football cheerleaders made signs and wore blue bows to show their support. Many AHS students and families showed up for the football game against Creston wearing blue to show their support for Pauley, and her family. Donations were taken at the football game and the volleyball game. The football game raised $1,172.32 and the volleyball game raised $439.00.

Rhonda Buck, Pauley’s mother, is very grateful for the surrounding areas and support for Pauley. “We are overwhelmed by the number of people praying for Grace and our family. We’ve always known Grace was special and loved by many, but wow, we have received messages from friends, family, schools, organizations, and strangers offering prayers and support,” said Buck.

Buck wants people to know that Pauley “is very active in lots of things.” Buck said, “She loves to be on the go all the time. Grace is energetic, fun, funny, kind, loving, and generous.”  

As for an update on Pauley’s condition, Buck said, “Grace is in an unconscious state right now and has started physical and occupational therapy to help her wake up as well as keep her joints and muscles healthy and functional. Speech and music therapy will also be part of her recovery. When her medical teams feel she is ready she will hopefully be moved to Madonna’s Long Term or Rehab Facility in Omaha.”