This group of students come from a small, rural school that houses approximately two hundred and forty junior and senior high school students, of which most of the students come from low-income and low socioeconomic status homes. Our school struggles to provide funding for educational needs, let alone extracurricular activities.
In just five short years, the OES Warrior Cross Country team has grown from five founding team members to thirty, and from underdogs to back-to-back state champions.
These particular students, grades 7-12, are dedicated to the sport due to their desire to excel and become state champions once again. They meet and run in rain or sunshine, freezing cold or 100 degree weather, in order to reach their goal.
My Project
Cross Country is an intense sport that requires athleticism, teamwork, co-ordination, and dedication. At each race, every team member runs the distance, and has a chance to be the star-of-the-day. To stay competitive, teams need the proper training and race equipment.
Since Arkansas' weather is so unpredictable, a canopy could provide a shaded oasis from the sweltering heat one week, and a station to huddle for warmth the next.
Our coach, a dedicated volunteer, works hard to encourage and train the team, and they work hard to meet his expectations. Lack of training space and supplies has the team traveling to multiple locations to practice on race-like terrain and simulate race conditions.
Cross Country takes an all-in mentality, which our athletes have abundantly, but it also requires money, which our team/school does not have. Since our team does not receive funds from gate admissions like other sports receive, over the past five years most of the supplies and funds, such as uniforms, shoes, race admission fees, and hotel/travel costs, has come from the volunteer coach and parental donations. Donations to this project will ease the burden for our school, coach, and parents, and allow the team to focus on the sport.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Lemons and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
