By: Taylor Mills, Shield Editor, and Shield Staff
NRCA’s annual high school Blacklight Dodgeball tournament raised $18,645 during this year’s spring fundraising season, exceeding their donation goal and winning a two-hour delay on April 22 for the whole division.
Students came together to fundraise for the school. By donating, students earned incentives, such as sweatpants dress code days, dodgeball tournament advantages, and a two-hour delay. Throughout the tournament day on March 27, the students enjoyed dodgeball, lunch, and quality time with their friends.
“Each year, we host a Blacklight Dodgeball tournament where we take the entire high school gym, covered in black lights, and it's a huge double-elimination tournament. The number of teams is decided by how many kids sign up. And from there, we just create a bracket where it's double elimination all the way until the championship game, where it's a winner-take-all single game match from there,” said NRCA Campus Life Director Josh Leonard, who oversees the event each year.
NRCA’s Blacklight Dodgeball tournament began as a way to give high school students an active role in fundraising for school improvement projects during the Boosterthon season. This year, the lower elementary division participated in the Boosterthon Fun Run, while the upper elementary had a Glow Run, and the middle schoolers raised funds through the Color Run. Each division received age-appropriate incentives and rewards for participating. In keeping with tradition, all the events took place the week before NRCA’s Easter break.
“This year, we are raising money for an expansion in two of our areas on campus. One is the Sherrill Center for the Performing Arts,” Leonard said. “This expansion is going to help both students and staff members fit comfortably during weekly chapels and school assemblies, as well as provide additional seating for Squire Theatre performances and other community events.”
Auditorium crowding affects the high school division the most. Elementary and middle school divisions face crowded spaces in other areas of the campus. “With the increased enrollment over the last couple of years, the other need was cafeteria expansion so that we had enough seats indoors. Obviously, right now we have students who eat outside on some days, but sometimes weather doesn’t allow for that. And so having enough seats indoors to allow everybody to sit comfortably is the goal. So, we’re going to expand the cafeteria as well,” Leonard said. “Then, as always, this money helps to go toward tuition assistance for families.”
One of the benefits of joining together for a common goal is that it builds community. “Dodgeball is one of those events where it's worth being a part of. It's just core memories for people to come together to have a good time. And while having a good time, the money they're going to raise isn't just going into nothing, but it's for a good cause. It's coming back into the school, and it's serving families, not only our high school families but all K through 12 students... It serves our whole NRCA community, which is fantastic,” Leonard said.
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