A community fundraising event at Terry Sanford High School raised $5,150 for the school’s athletics program, helping provide additional support for equipment, training opportunities, and other athletic needs.
The fundraiser was held March 10 through Mazda’s “Be Moved Drive Program,” which allows schools to raise money when community members participate in vehicle test drives. For each qualified test drive completed during the event, $50 was donated to the school.
By the end of the afternoon, organizers recorded 103 test drives, generating $5,150 toward the school’s athletics fund. The program allows schools to raise up to $10,000 through the event.
Flow Mazda of Fayetteville partnered with the school to host the event.
“Terry Sanford has been a cornerstone for student-athletes and the community for a long time,” said Stephen Sergent, general sales manager at Flow Mazda of Fayetteville. “We’re only about 10 minutes down the road, so it made sense to partner with a local school and give back to a place that has done a lot for the community.”
Jahmir Monroe, a senior football player at Terry Sanford, said the additional funding could help teams purchase equipment and other resources that might otherwise be difficult to afford.
“I think this is a great opportunity for us to get new jerseys and other sports equipment that some of us likely couldn’t afford without this extra funding,” Monroe said.
Rangel McLaurin, Terry Sanford’s 12th grade assistant principal and athletic director, said the fundraiser offered a creative way to support athletic programs at a time when many school teams rely on a mix of school funding, booster clubs, and community donations.
“Our local athletic fund had taken a serious hit over the last few years,” McLaurin said. “We have well over 20 teams here and a very robust athletic program, so when we heard about the possibility of raising $5,000 or even $10,000, we were excited about the opportunity.”
McLaurin said the additional funding can help cover equipment and other expenses that arise throughout the school year.
“Equipment expires, and there are always things that coaches need,” McLaurin said. “Sometimes there are wish-list items programs would like to have if funding is available. This allows us to step in and support those needs.”
Douglas Massengill, principal of Terry Sanford, also emphasized that additional funding helps ensure that cost doesn’t keep students from participating in athletics.
“We never want cost to be a limitation for student-athletes to participate,” Massengill said. “When students want to attend training camps, summer workout programs or when coaches want to attend coaching clinics, we don’t want those opportunities to be limited because of funding.”
Massengill said partnerships with local organizations and businesses help schools fill gaps that school budgets may not cover.
“Community partners who step up allow us to fill that gap,” Massengill said. “We’re grateful for partnerships like this that support our students not only in athletics but in academics as well.”
