By Anna Skinner
At a recent WHS varsity football game, the freshman football team took buckets to the gates of the game, trying to raise money for a fundraiser close to the team’s heart.
“We always do three or four service projects per year, so this was our 15th project. We raise money for Red Cross, mentor programs,” said Jake Gilbert, WHS teacher and football head coach. “We’ve sent meals to Africa and raised money for Haiti, Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life … This was just this year’s thing. We always try to have at least one cancer fundraiser per year.”
Yet this fundraiser was a little different, focused on the Indiana Women in Need foundation. I.W.I.N provides grants to women across the state with breast cancer.
“I think it’s important for our guys to do a women’s charity and really try to work with our young men on how to treat women correctly,” Gilbert said. “In our program, breast cancer ransacked us, we’ve had four moms pass away in the last four years, and on our coaching staff, our coaches have experienced something similar.”
Before the game, the team raised $2,500 for I.W.I.N. The organization helps approximately 500 women a year. More than half of the recipients earn $30,000 or less annually.
“There’s been a lot of destruction from cancer, specifically breast cancer, in our program,” Gilbert said.
The fundraiser was the only one the team planned for fall, with the next fundraiser being Relay for Life in spring.
For more, visit iwinfoundation.org.
