Redskins' football team set to host first-ever Kickoff Classic fundraiser
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| Morris kicker David Balzer works on kickoffs at a practice last week during the Redskins’ summer camp. Looking on are Head Coach George Dergo (back left) and Special Teams Coach Tom Peterson. (Herald Photo/T.G. Smith |
By T.G. SMITH
Herald Sports Editor
On Saturday, Aug. 9 at the Morris Moose Lodge 3835 on Rt. 47 south of town, a fundraiser for the Morris Community High School football team and the Quarterback Club will be held. Tabbed the Morris Redskins' Kickoff Classic, the event is set to feature an afternoon of fun while supporting the local gridders.
“It should be a good deal. This not only benefits the Quarterback Club, but also the football team,” Morris football coach George Dergo said. “We're going into this as a joint effort. That's why we're doing so much with the silent auction and the raffles and all sorts of other fun stuff.”
Fun stuff like getting a chance to knock the fourth-year varsity head coach and any of his assistants off a perch and into a dunk tank in addition to other activities.
“They are going to have a bean bag contest and a dunk tank with all of the coaches,” Dergo said. “I'm going to be sitting in the dunk tank and if anyone wants to dunk me, come on out.”
The event is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and will last until approximately 10 p.m. with a picnic dinner being served from 2-5 p.m. The bean bag tournament, which Dergo mentioned, is slated to begin at 3 p.m. with each team's entry fee being $10. In addition to the silent auction and raffles, which will be going on throughout the day, there will be a DJ providing entertainment from 6-10 p.m.
In the past, the Redskins' football team has held a number of fundraisers, including a golf outing and/or selling discount cards to the public. The Kickoff Classic has been set up as a way to make the fundraising effort a once a year project for everyone involved.
“We're only going to do one a year from now on. We know we came up with the idea a little late, but we're still hoping people will participate,” Dergo said. “The cards will still be for sale after the (kickoff classic), though, if you can't make it. Obviously, you're going to get a bargain if you buy one ahead of time and use it to get in to the Moose on Saturday.”
Unlike selling the discount cards in the past, everyone involved believes that a $10 donation for a Redskins card is, in the end, way better for the team.
“With the way that it used to be done, with the value cards, half the money went to the company who makes them. So, if you sold a $10 card, only $5 went to our program,” Dergo explained. “This time, if you buy a Redskins' card, which is a pocket schedule, it doesn't have discounts for McDonalds or anything else like that on it, but all of the proceeds go directly to Morris football. It's a card with all three schedules - the varsity, sophomore and freshman teams - but, if you buy it in advance, you can use that for the $10 admission fee to get into the kickoff classic.”
Admission at the door of the Morris Moose is $10 for adults 18-years of age and older. Children are admitted for free with a paying adult.
“Hopefully people will see the benefit of the $10 donation this week and come on out, have some food, bid on things and take part in the raffles. It shows support for our team and all of the proceeds will go to the Quarterback Club, who helps out, and ours will go towards equipment,” Dergo said. “We have needs to upgrade a lot of things that have gone by the wayside in the past. We're dying for some new equipment.
“This is a way for the community to help and it does add up real fast when we sell those cards. Hopefully the town will come together and help us out with the fundraising effort,” he added. “Any football player in the Morris High School program will be selling the tickets so, if your interested, you can buy one from any of them.”
