PONCHATOULA, La. – The Ponchatoula football program is largely funded by annual community events like the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, Golf Tournament, and Gumbo Cook-off.
“We are the only high school in town and we depend tremendously on community support and backing. It takes about $40,000 a year to fund our program,” says Ponchatoula Head Football Coach Hank Tierney.
Coach Hank says that the money raised through these fundraisers goes to field maintenance, equipment, helmets, insurance, and other bare necessities they provide for over 100 kids.
The program was able to hold their Gumbo Cook-off this year, but events like the 2020 Golf Tournament and Strawberry Festival were canceled.
To make up for the lost revenue, it is holding an online fundraiser offering customized face masks for people to wear during the pandemic.
“One of the things we do with the money we raise is provide support as far as clothing for players. We thought we would have this fundraiser involving masks since they are in demand and they are soon to be required, if not already, “says Coach Hank Tierney.
“The masks are CDC compliant and they do cost $15. For each mask we sell, we do make $6. We are somewhere in the vicinity of $2,000 we have made for our program. We do still have days to go so we are hoping for an even better result at the end.”
To see masks available for purchase, click here.
The online fundraiser is set to end Monday at 11:59 p.m.
Coach Hank says that the program is always accepting donations.
