BY RYAN MERARD
With numerous businesses closing due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures, many CCHS teams and clubs face new challenges with fundraising. Typical methods, like holding family nights at restaurants and physically approaching businesses for sponsorships, are not an option for fundraising as of now.
Trying to make the most out of the current situation, CCHS’s football program managed to find a fundraising method that correlates with the needs of the community during the pandemic. With the help of Sysco the team launched an online pop-up shop from April 27 to April 29, that sold grocery and essential items to help raise funds for the upcoming football season.
Sysco is a national food provider that delivers kitchen items to restaurants and grocery stores all across the country. The company has been assisting programs and restaurants during the pandemic by giving them the chance to sell groceries and keep their businesses afloat.
The football team’s online store mainly consisted of “restaurant quality” items, such as beef, pork, seafood and other foods. Other essential items currently in high demand were available as well. Toilet paper, face masks, gloves and bleach were some of the items for sale on the virtual shop.
“The fundraiser was great,” head football coach Daniel Carlisle said. “Sysco donated a percentage back to the football program. We had steak packages, seafood, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc.”
Once items were purchased, customers would head over to the Cooper City Sports Complex on May 1 to pick up their items. In order to combat the possible spread of any viral germs, customers would pull up to a curbside pickup where volunteers would bring the groceries directly to their cars. With all the orders prepackaged, customer wait-times were 15 minutes or less and the pickup went swiftly.
“I’m glad that the coaches found a smart way to raise money for the team during this time.”
Junior Brandon Toler
“I think it’s nice that the team thought of a way to raise money for the team in a pandemic,” junior Nathan Blazer said. “A lot of people don’t want to take the chance of being too close to somebody while shopping, so having people order online and then pick their groceries up takes away that fear. I hope that people took advantage of the online shop because they were selling some important items like the face masks.”
With the overall success of the pop-up shop, the Cowboys plan to do this fundraiser again in the next two weeks.
“Some of the ways we were originally going to do to get money for the team we probably can’t do now because of the coronavirus,” junior Brandon Toler said. “I’m glad that the coaches found a smart way to raise money for the team during this time. The money raised helps us get new gear and helps us travel for far-away games, so we need everything we can get.”
Photo courtesy of Cooper City HS Football Twitter
