Ryan Malone, left, and Tate Stinson, football players for Saratoga High School, developed the fundraiser to help physical education teacher Burt Willford, who has cancer.
Two Saratoga High School football players have organized a raffle to help an ailing respected teacher get back on his feet.
The raffle, organized by students Tate Stinson and Ryan Malone, was put together to benefit physical education teacher Burt Willford, who has become ill with cancer and cannot teach at this time. As highly athletic students with a love for football, Stinson and Malone expressed a desire to help a teacher who taught them so much.
“My best friend, Ryan Malone, and I have talked about what we can do to give back to a man who has given a lot to us throughout the years,” Stinson said. “Mr. Willford coached many teams for Saratoga. Sports are very important parts of our lives, and he has taught us many life lessons through sports.”
The raffle, which took place at Saratoga volleyball games Friday and Saturday, was called a “Sports Square Raffle”, and focused on Saturday’s University of Wyoming vs. Colorado State football game. The raffle involved two boards—one with squares selling for $5 a square and one with squares selling at $10 a square.
Those participating in the raffle would sign their name in a square on either board, which includes numbers running across both vertically and horizontally.
“There are 100 squares on a board, zero to nine, and the teams’ score determine the winner,” Stinson said. “We will take the last digit in the score and meet the squares running horizontal and vertical. We are using the Wyoming game as the $5 one, and raffling off a bench that the tech class has made with some graphic burned into it. We have the $10 board off of the Denver (Broncos) game for $10 a square, and the prize is a moose antler table that Mr. Pat Malone has generously donated.”
Included at Saratoga’s weekend volleyball games was a jar for people to make cash donations outside of the raffle.
During Saturday’s game, student Cameron Collamer helped sell leftover squares while Stinson and Malone were playing their football game against Guernsey-Sunrise.
“Our slogan has turned into ‘Buck for Burt’,” Stinson said. “I believe the Valley will join around this cause.”
Stinson said he and Malone are planning to present “thank you” cards, and money collected from the raffle and donations, during the Panthers’ last home game Thursday. The winners of the raffle will also be announced at the Saratoga High School Football game Thursday night.
“Ryan and I would like to give back to him with a monetary donation and thank you cards, which we will be able to present to him and his family at our last home football game against Hanna-Elk Mountain-Medicine Bow on Oct. 24,” he said.
Those who did not attend the volleyball games can still donate. The donation jar is located in the front office at Saratoga Middle/High School.
Reader Comments(0)