Simpson is a small school with many athletic teams. When faced with the dilemma of raising funds to support team endeavors, it seems every sport on campus has found a gimmick that makes their fundraising stand out.

As part of the golf team, junior Jess Harvey participates in fundraising efforts at a local golf course.

“Every fall our team coordinates a golf tournament at Deer Run Golf Course to raise money for our team,” Harvey said.

Harvey said the experience is a success thanks to the efforts of Women’s Golf Coach Bob Darrah.

“This is a large event for us, and our coach deserves a lot of credit for the amount of work he puts into it,” Harvey said.

This fundraising effort requires coordination among members of the golf team, who work together on the multiple events.

“Anyone we know, mostly family and friends of the school, team and coach are all invited to play in a nine hole, four-person best-shot tournament one weekday evening,” Harvey said. “Afterwards we provide them with a meal, and they have the option of participating in our auction. Everybody has a lot of fun, and our team account benefits as well. With entry fees, raffle tickets sold and money raised from auctioned items, this is our biggest fundraising event.”

Harvey said the tournament at Deer Run wasn’t the golf team’s only fundraising effort this year. The team also created clothing items for Simpson students.

“This year we also sold women’s golf T-shirts to the campus,” Harvey said.

The golfers know what it takes to get the money they need for the team. Harvey said they use the funds raised for tournament entry fees, home course practice fees, general weekend traveling fees – which finance hotels, transportation and other related costs – and equipment, such as golf balls and tees.

The women’s basketball players also make significant efforts to raise money for their team.

“The fundraising that the basketball team does are magazine sales, [selling] programs at home football games and [working] concessions at softball home games,” said senior Kenie Woodard, a point guard for the team.

According to Woodard, the magazine sales were the easiest thing she and her teammates did to raise money. She credits not being stuck in the cold weather as a plus, making it easier to raise money.

Much like the golf team, the funds that the women’s basketball team produces are able to finance team necessities.

“The money that we raise goes for meals and trips that we take for tournaments and conference games,” said freshman Laura Montague, a guard for the Storm. “This year the basketball team went to Las Vegas and next year we are going to a tournament in San Diego.”