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Let’s Get Katie to Cali!

Zaleski Sports Donates $500 to Kick Off Fundraising

Talon Staff

May 21, 2025

You might not know Katie Lechton personally, but you’ve probably enjoyed her work.

If you’ve watched a live stream of an Amherst football game, Katie was likely behind the camera. If you’ve caught an Amherst volleyball live stream, Katie was probably doing the commentary. Boys soccer? She Announced it. Baseball? Softball? Hockey? Same.

Katie has won a Wisconsin Newspaper Association award for her sports journalism for the Amherst High School online newspaper, The Talon, for which she is the Sports Editor. She is the editor of the Yearbook this year, as well. And for the last three years, she has been secretary for the school’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).

Katie is one busy girl.

Recently, Katie competed at the State FBLA competition in the Journalism category and placed fourth in the state, earning her a place at the National FBLA competition, which will be held in Anaheim, California, at the end of June.

This is where you come in.

As you can imagine, a trip to Anaheim does not come cheap. While the Amherst chapter of FBLA is able to help out with smaller costs, there is not enough money to pay for airfare, accommodations, and other travel expenses.

A GoFundMe has been set up for Katie in hopes of raising $5,000, which would allow her to attend the National FBLA conference and compete against students from around the country. Here is the link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-send-amherst-fbla-to-nationals

“It would be such an honor to represent Amherst High School at the National FBLA competition,” Katie said. “I have never been farther west than Owen, Wisconsin, so going to California would be the trip of a lifetime.”

Can you help Katie realize her dream? If so, donations can be done through GoFundMe (see the link above), or you can send a check to the school (made out to Amherst FBLA) to Amherst High School, attn. Amherst FBLA, 357 N Main St., Amherst, WI 54406. To start things off, Zaleski Sports has donated $500 to get Katie to California.

“I am so grateful to Zaleski Sports for donating to my trip,” Katie added. “I have worked for them since freshman year, and they have helped me realize my dream of working in broadcasting and journalism.”

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Your donation will support the student journalists of Amherst High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

About the Contributor

Faith Sopa, Reporter

What is the value of The Talon to you and/or to the school district? It’s very important to be and should also be to the district that our student body gets recognized for a variety of activities. So many events get pushed to the side because all people see is sports. Having reporters writing on the importance of clubs and other extracurriculars is huge and will make everyone feel that what they do is valued at Amherst. List three of your favorite past-times or hobbies: Well, I don’t have a lot of free time, but I do enjoy any time with my animals! I also enjoy spending time with those close to me, like my friends and family. Tell us three things you can’t live without, after friends and family: Music, Dr. Pepper, Queen Merry. Anything else you would like to share with your readers? I just want everyone to know that there is a place for everyone in Amherst. If someone feels as though they don’t fit it, joining a couple clubs just for fun might turn out to give you that sense of belonging that you were missing. I had that experience throughout most of my school career, but because of my FFA, Yearbook, and Talon families, I truly feel valued.