Yet again, the annual OH girls volleyball (OPV) fundraiser does more than raise money: it raises motivation for the entire community. This past Saturday, the team hosted a successful car wash to kick start the season and help fund their camps and equipment.
“[The carwash] brings us together at the beginning of the season,” said OH Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach and Special Education teacher Gary Mosley. “We know it’s going to be a tough day, but it’s also a very, very positive day. So it’s something we look forward to every year.”
Despite the fact that it is an annual event, it is still special every year. What sets this fundraiser apart is that it never fails to reach beyond the volleyball team and bring connections to the community.
“Over the past couple years, it’s been a fun team bonding thing,” said OH senior and girls varsity volleyball player Hannah Herrick.
This tradition is one that is anticipated every year by the OH community and has shown to be successful at bringing the community together
“It teaches kids a bit of hustle, gets the community involved, and lets people support local extracurricular directly without buying this or that,” said community member and OH parent Bill Roller, who drove by to contribute to the fundraiser. “Plus,” he added, “I always have fun driving by and honking the horn!”
When the community is brought together in this way, the volleyball team succeeds. Just this week, the team already has a winning record in both of their first two games against Waubonsie Valley (2-0) and Joliet Catholic (2-1).
“When we go to our team camp in the summer, that money goes to them… It also helps purchase stuff within the gym,” said Mosley. “And then the other side of it is it… really helps us grow as a family to know when it’s tough we can be okay together.”
Not only is the car wash a fun thing for the OPV girls to look forward too, the program benefits from it as well.
“This year was our best year, we raised over $2,000,” said Herrick.
The car wash is organized by the volleyball program, and although the girls don’t choose to do it, they love to do it, and are great at it, too.
“They were awesome—super energetic, polite, and actually looked like they were having fun instead of acting like they were doing hard time,” said Roller.
Overall, this car wash fundraiser sets an example of what the Oswego community is like.
“It just reinforces what you already hope is true about the local kids—they’re hard-working, respectful, and a great reflection of the community. Makes you proud to root for our Panthers and see kids out there putting in the effort,” said Roller.
In the same spirit, the community can continue supporting the team beyond the car wash by attending the team’s volleyball games this fall season. The next game is today a 5:00 p.m. against Whitney Young in the Metea Valley Invitational, held at Metea Valley.
Hi! I am Stephanie Mayorga, a staff reporter and Spanish Section Editor for 42Fifty. I am a Junior and am excited for my first year in 42Fifty! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name on the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
Hi! My name is Ainslee Gerardot and I'm a junior at Oswego High School. This is my first year of the 42Fifty staff, and I am proud to serve as Social Media Editor. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
