Big hearts rally to support Coach “Biggs”

BY PAM STEVENS | EDITOR Students, faculty and community pull together As the National Anthem came to an end at the Vikings’ first football game of the season, Offensive Line Coach Kyle Bigham, 31, collapsed on the sidelines in front of the crowd where his heart actually stopped for two minutes.

Lake Stevens coaches, volunteers and Everett Medics performed CPR on Coach “Biggs” for 20 minutes, which ultimately ended up saving his life.

“The remaining coaching staff and several volunteers from the stands were on him immedi ately, but the EMT’s took five minutes to come over from their post 50 yards away. I heard several people say he was dead, but the firefighter who was giving him chest compressions wouldn’t stop. Thank God he didn’t,” Kevin Hulten said.

Bigham was rushed to the Colby Campus at Providence Medical Center where he received an implant to keep his heart from stopping again.

“He had an implant put in which is actually a defibrillator,” Ed Bailey, Athletic Director at Lake Stevens High School said. “This will kick in and jump start his heart if it needs to.”

Bigham is a well respected and much loved coach at the high school and many have come forward who want to help in any way they can.

Bigham, who is a taxi driver by night, has no health insurance and so on Saturday, Sept. 6, the day after his collapse, the Cheerleader Booster Club went into action.

They had a previously planned fundraiser at Haggen’s and decided that they would donate all of the money they raised to Bigham.
“We just felt that he has done a lot for us and the football team,” Jade Hoiby, a senior and cheerleader at Lake Stevens High School said.” “We felt that we should give all of our proceeds to him and help him out as much as we could.”

The students worked diligently to make money and stay positive.
The kids refused to let negative thoughts cloud their mind and instead focused on the positive by taking action within their community, Terri Albertsen, President of the Booster Club said.

With Haggen’s donating all of the essentials, the students sold hot dogs, chips and soda and the cheerleaders did cheers to earn extra money.

“Haggen’s was crawling with LSHS Cheerleaders, football players and students, all working together for a coach they clearly loved and respected,” Albertsen said. “They are our sons and daughters, our LSHS students. We all have reason to be so proud.”    

The football players headed over to Cavelero Mid-high to support the Jr. Football Team and collected over $400 just by passing around an empty coffee can.

By the end of the day they had collected over $1,300.

Bigham was released from the hospital last Thursday, but still is not able to return to work and needs to have someone caring for him at this time.

So, once again, students and teachers are coming together to host an auction in his behalf to help him with medical bills and living expenses while he is out of work.

“We are doing what we can to help him along, to make sure his needs are met and to let him know that he is an important part of the Viking team,” Bailey said.

The “Bucks for Biggs” Auction will take place tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 18 starting at 6 p.m. at the Lake Stevens High School Cafeteria.
There will be a spaghetti dinner provided at $7 per person and a silent auction filled with everything from Seahawks tickets to food items.

Luca, owner of Luca’s Ristorante will be donating his expertise to the meal.

For now, the Lake Stevens High School community wants to do all they can to bring their beloved coach back healthy and ready for the remaining season.
“We’re hoping to get him back in the not too distant future,” Bailey said.  

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