Test driving a vehicle will help the Fort Frances Muskies football team.
Sunset Country Ford holds its Drive for a Cause event on Thursday, September 19, in support of the Muskies Touchdown Club, the team’s fundraising arm.
President Sheila Helm says the event will help them with the team’s equipment and travel needs.
“We’re needing to raise over $40,000 to have a successful season,” says Helm.
“It costs us about $1,600 per player to outfit them with their equipment and all of the travel. We have about 48 players this year, so do the math.”
The Touchdown Club came into existence in 1987 when a change in funding from the school board forced the team to look at other ways of raising money.
Dave Montgomery, the Muskies’ head coach of the time, along with his assistant coach, Scott Fawcett, and Glenn Treflin, came together to form the Touchdown Club.
“It makes it football accessible to everyone,” says Helm.
“Anyone that wants to play from grade nine to twelve, they’re not turned away for any reason.”
The club has ongoing fundraising events each year.
A raffle for gas for a year is now underway.
Discount cards that offer specials from participating businesses are also available.
The club also runs a 50/50 draw during the games.
Helm says they got an early jump on fundraising this season with a raffle during the summer.
“This wouldn’t happen without our parent volunteers, and we have a wonderful group of parents that are ready to step up and pitch in just at any time that we need.”
The Drive for the Touchdown Club will go from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
There will also be a free barbeque from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. with members of the Muskies and the Touchdown Club on hand.
Helm says they hope to surpass what was done at a similar event for their rival Dryden Eagles.
“They did this for the Dryden Football Club, and they had 102 test drives. So they raised $5,100. My challenge to Fort Frances is for us to show them up.”
The Muskies’ next game is this Friday when they host the Beaver Brae Broncos of Kenora in the Homecoming Game.
Game time is 3 p.m.
