This year’s game is Oct. 21 at Fairmont High in Kettering, and the fundraising is full speed ahead.
Fairmont began fundraising in early August with a community garage sale, which raised $1,500. Their goal this year is $100,000. “We raised about $83,000 last year,” said Corey Miller, activities coordinator at Fairmont. “I’m optimistic we can exceed that this year.”
Centerville has set a goal of $75,000, with all the proceeds benefitting the Ronald McDonald House of Dayton this year.
Karen Dempsey Volke, chief development officer for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Dayton, said, “It’s heart-warming and inspiring to see how hard these students are working to support RMHC’s mission of keeping families close to their hospitalized babies and children.”
Fairmont has chosen four charities to split the proceeds of its efforts. They are: Kettering Backpack Program, which sends a needy Kettering student home with backpack full of food every weekend; BOGG (Because of God’s Grace), a mobile food pantry that in addition to canned or boxed food products also provides fresh vegetables, fruits and meat; Kettering Supplies sends home backpacks filled with household products and toiletries, and William Wynn’s Liters for Learning, a nonprofit building schools in rural Guatemala from recycled materials. The nonprofit is run by Fairmont alum Treva Wynn.
Both schools are sponsoring 5K runs to raise even more money. And both schools’ student councils agree students get involved in fundraising. Spirit Week, the week leading up to the big game, has theme days all aimed at ramping up the fundraising.
Fairmont always has a powderpuff football game, which has historically been a successful fundraiser.
Centerville adviser Michael Dalton says the teachers embrace the fundraising spirit and usually get involved.
Earlier in the school year charities and nonprofits are encouraged to apply to the high schools to be beneficiaries of the Spirit Chain funds. “When Ronald McDonald did their presentation, we learned a lot about the organization and were very impressed,” said CHS student council president and senior Michael Daskalakis.
“We’ve had so much fun coming up with different ideas to raise money,” said Shreya Shaw, a senior and student council secretary.
Audrey Albright, commissioner of communications for USB (United Student Body) at FHS, said Fairmont students have really gotten their arms around the idea of fundraising in a big way. “Fairmont has won fundraising the past nine years.” Sydney Fowler, a CHS senior and vice president of Student Council, said there really aren’t any losers in the Spirit Chain. “It’s all about helping.”
Originally, for every incremental amount of money raised, a link was added to a chain. The chain was then extended across the football field game night. But, because both schools have demonstrated extraordinary fundraising abilities, a symbolic chain is extended at the game with half the chain in team colors of blue and silver and half in black and gold.
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