Touchdown Club: It's about the school ... and the team
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on September 21, 2014 1:50 AM
pmoore@newsargus.com
Monetary donations are starting to come in and interest is growing in an effort to support Goldsboro High School through its football program.
The Touchdown Club, operating in cooperation with the school's longtime Cougar Club, has one purpose, its organizers say.
The young men.
The idea is to start with the football program and maybe, someday, if the support is there, to be there for other athletes, too -- and to build on a legacy of school spirit that has spanned generations.
And club members say they are eager for not only new members, but for participation from fans, parents, alumni and others interested in supporting the school and its team.
Sherry Archibald, director of the Paramount Theatre, said nearly 200 alumni from Goldsboro and Dillard high schools turned out for a recent gathering to raise awareness about the booster group.
And then there's the financial backing.
"We raised $25,000 in cash, $20,000 in in-kind donations and the promise of another $20,000 for the weight room (at GHS)," she said.
In just a few short months, the interest and response from the surrounding community has been impressive, Mrs. Archibald said.
"We have got some positive momentum," she said.
While things like ticket sales at the gate benefit all sports, football is perhaps the most expensive program and where the Touchdown Club's focus remains for the time being, she added.
Mrs. Archibald is a parent of a Goldsboro High student and football player, but she is involved also -- as many members of the club are -- because she considers Goldsboro High a vital part of the community.
"As a city employee, I recognize how important that school is," she said. "I live in that neighborhood. I want to do what I can to make it stronger. For others (on the committee) they want to do it because they graduated from there. They want these boys to have the same experience.
"They know that you're talking 40-plus boys that you can make an impact on their lives."
The Touchdown Club is a new effort, but the support for the school and its students can be seen in the generations of alumni and others who have come back to give back, Mrs. Archibald said.
She hopes more people will become part of the vision -- and those who have been those cheerleaders from the past will join hands with the club to create a support structure for the athletes.
"The Cougar Club is still there," Mrs. Archibald said. "The focus is on the boys. The focus is on the school."
Once a Cougar, always a Cougar -- and those supporters who have been there over the years are key to building the kind of structure that keeps a program strong and changes lives, Mrs. Archibald said.
And there is always room for more.
"Certainly I would have loved for it to have happened 10 years, 20 years ago, but right now I'm just thanking God that it's happening," she said.
The first major project for the club will be working on the weight room, which essentially needs not only equipment but "floor to ceiling" renovations, Mrs. Archibald said.
The beneficiary might be the football program, she explained, but efforts like the weight room will benefit all sports and the entire school since it can be used for the physical education program.
And the team has been part of the effort, too, working with the club volunteers over the summer to paint in the stadium as part of an effort to spruce up the facilities.
Others have also pitched in to help, including area churches like Bethel and Best Grove, which have participated by feeding the students or encouraging them to become involved in the youth group.
There are plenty of other ways to support the initiative, Mrs. Archibald said -- from attending the games to volunteering at the concession stand, to baking cookies or bringing snacks for the team.
"This Touchdown Club is going to stay strong," she said. "Our big push was to try to get funds raised, but the next thing will be how can we mentor? What can we do to help first? That'll be the next step -- how can we plug in the community to reach out to this school family?"
For more information on the Touchdown Club or to get on the e-mail list, visit the website www.goldsborotouchdownclub or email goldsborotouchdownclub@gmail.com. There is also a Facebook page at Goldsboro Cougar Touchdown Club.