Most high schools use senior night to celebrate athletes finishing their sports careers. The Red Hook boys’ basketball team decided it would be a great chance to rally behind the opposition.

Several months ago, Zac Osterhoudt had his basketball season with Highland High School interrupted with a Ewing’s Sarcoma diagnosis. As a family friend of the Donohue family of Red Hook, he was in for plenty of support.

The conversation around the Donohue dinner table one night started on their friend Zach’s diagnosis, and shifted to how they could help. The Feb. 18 senior night game against Highland – also eldest son Brendan Donohue’s senior night – seemed like the perfect opportunity, with the four seniors anonymously deciding a fundraiser to support Zach’s treatments were the perfect move.

What You Need To Know

  • Highland’s Zach Osterhoudt was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma mid-season, sidelining him

  • Red Hook's basketball team used its senior night as a fundraiser for him

  • The students helped raise more than $3,000

“All of the seniors were totally in on it. We talked about it beforehand and decided it was a great way to do something for somebody else,” said Donohue, “to take a little bit of the spotlight off of ourselves and shine it on something that actually has a lot of importance.”

“We knew we were gonna have a good crowd here for senior night,” said head coach Matt Hayes. “The Red Hook community has always been very generous, especially when it comes to a kid.”

Senior Ryan Kolman, who leads the Red Hook student section at basketball games, said Donohue approached him and asked the student section to wear yellow in support of Osterhoudt. Yellow is the color widely used to represent bone cancers.

The student section took the request and ran with it, using both word of mouth and social media.

“Getting yellow ribbon, yellow paint, have everyone wear yellow in support of him,” said Kolman.

Proceeds from fundraisers were dedicated to Osterhoudt, who was introduced at the Red Hook senior night game to a standing ovation.

“A lot of parents chipped in, a lot of faculty donated, and it’s really great example of what Red Hook can do when they combine,” said Kolman.

Even weeks after the game, Hayes said he was still receiving donations from the community to share with the Osterhoudt family to help with medical bills.

“For as long as I coach here, that will go down as one of my favorite nights,” said Hayes.