SIBLEY &045;&045; Henry &uot;Happy&uot; Hedgepeth didn’t have a clue why his Aunt Joy was holding a raffle for the poly resin eagle, which for years had sat in front of the cash register at Jeff and Joy Kitchen’s Sibley Store.

All he knew is he likes collecting things, so he bought three raffle tickets for $1 in hopes of possibly winning the eagle.

Little did Hedgepeth know that the raffle had a much bigger purpose.

On his June 13, at a surprise birthday party for Hedgepeth at the Sibley Store, Kitchen asked her great- nephew to draw the name of the winner for the raffle.

As Hedgepeth handed her the winning ticket, Kitchen handed Hedgepeth $140 &045;&045; money raised from the raffle that was to be used to help Hedgepeth and two of his Natchez High School teammates go to Jeff Bower Football Camp at Southern Miss.

&uot;I didn’t know anything about it,&uot; said Hedgepeth, 17. &uot;I was already surprised because they had a surprise birthday party for me.&uot;

Up his stock

Having suffered through a 1-10 season at Natchez in 2003 and in the midst of a 2-31 record over the last three seasons, Hedgepeth, who started at center for the Bulldogs as a sophomore last season, had grown tired of losing.

And even though Natchez’s new head football coach, Lance Reed, brings new ideas and a renewed optimism to the football program for the 2004 season, Hedgepeth and his buddies, Kilpatrick Wilson and Romardo Thomas, took it upon themselves to get better as players over the summer.

So when they heard about Bower’s football camp, which starts Sunday and runs through Tuesday, they wanted to attend in an effort to improve themselves on the gridiron.

&uot;The coaches that just left really didn’t teach us anything,&uot; Hedgepeth said. &uot;Our offensive line coach really didn’t go over too much. He showed us some things, but we didn’t understand it. That’s why we’re trying to go to camp, so we can figure it all out.&uot;

There was only one problem for the guys. The cost to attend the camp was $190 per person.

The three teammates began an effort to raise the necessary funds to go to the camp, and it appeared they were going to fall short of their goal and not be able to attend.

Eventually, word made it to Kitchen that Hedgepeth probably would not get to go to the camp, and that’s when she decided to hold a raffle to raise the money for Hedgepeth and his friends to go.

&uot;To me, any kid that wants to go (to camp), I am going to do everything I can to help,&uot; Kitchen said. &uot;This community cares about each other. If I can get a dollar out of this person or a dollar out of that person, you can come up with $140. It’s any little thing to help people, and people know that.&uot;

Surprise

Kitchen had it planned perfectly.

She sent Hedgepeth out of town on his birthday

for some errands, and when he was on his way back and crossing the Mississippi River Bridge, she had her lookout notify the store.

When Hedgepeth pulled up, everyone was outside waiting for him to arrive at his surprise party.

&uot;When he came in he was visiting with everyone and someone said, ‘What about the raffle,’&uot; Kitchen said. &uot;And I said, ‘Well, I will let Hedgepeth draw it since it is his birthday.’&uot;

Jimmy of Cloverdale was the lucky winner of the eagle, but Hedgepeth was the true winner.

&uot;He drew the name out and I handed him the money for camp, and he didn’t know what to say,&uot; Kitchen said. &uot;I loved it. I love to see any kid better their education.&uot;

The employees at the store were all in on the real purpose of the raffle, and so were most of the people who bought tickets.

Some people did not want to buy a ticket but decided to donate money to the cause anyway, Kitchen said.

Reed, who will begin his first season at Natchez in the fall, was not aware of the raffle but said it didn’t surprise him that the community would bond together to raise the money for Hedgepeth.

Hedgepeth said Natchez’s worst problem last season was the play of the offensive line, and his efforts to improve on that begin Sunday in Hattiesburg.

&uot;Henry’s a good kid,&uot; Reed said. &uot;I remember when I first stepped into the school he was one of the kids who caught my eye. He is a kid who is eager and ready for a change. You can look at his eyes and tell he wants to get better.&uot;