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The Minnesota Storm 14-year-old boys Basketball team area businesses, service organizations and private parties that helped the basketball team raise money to send them to the AAU National Basketball Tournament in Coco Beach Florida, July 9-16.

The team played hard, had a great time but came up short against some tall teams and great talent in their bracket and pool play. However, the boys had fun competing against some of the best. Although they came up short in the win column, they gained great memories, honed skills, teamwork, friendships and experiences they will carry on for many years.

The Minnesota Storm 14-year-old boys' basketball team took fourth place in the Minnesota State AAU tournament June 3-4. Their victory qualified the team for the National AAU Basketball tournament in Coco Beach, Florida. The Minnesota Storm represented East Central Minnesota and competed against 92 teams from across the country as well as Puerto Rico and Hawaii for the 14U AAU Division II Basketball National Championship title. Members of Minnesota Storm are from the Cambridge, Braham, North Branch, Rush City and Sandstone area.

The team wants to send out a special thank you to the following area businesses and service organizations for donating towards the trip: Rush City Sno Bugs, East Central Sanitation, CTX Trucking, East Central Pallet, Chilson's Jewelry, Gene's Sewer and Water, McDonalds Distributing, Plastech Corporation, Rush City Youth Athletic Association, Lindstrom Painting, Scotts Decorating, CW Construction, Dale Tool and Automotive, Rush Lake Resort, Tower Systems, Site Management, Don Conrad, Foundation Appraisal Inc., Haferman Water Conditioning Inc., Leader Department Store, Anderson Drug, Hayford Ford, Cambridge Christian School, Dairy Queen (North Branch), Pizza Pub, Dominos Pizza, Provide Care, Central Park Sports, Holiday Gas (North Branch), Edina Realty, AmericInn, North Branch Golf Course, the North Branch Community, Metro Fire Protection, Joe and Lil Wegleitner, Cambridge State Bank; Robert Lininger, James Degerstrom of Lake Elmo, Slims Motor Clinic, Inc., Fantastic Sams, Cambridge Chiropractor, Coldwell Banker-Tim Guderian; Schwarten Dentistry; Randahl Wallace, Lowell & Denise Luebeck, Twentieth Century IRA Investments, James R Ertz Appraisal Services, Brass Rail-Grandy, Provide Care Inc., AC Electric, Inc., North Branch Lodging, Thomas M O'Hern, JD Sports of North Branch, Minnco Credit Union and a special thank you to County Market for letting the team hold two car washes.

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