Oklahoma School for the Deaf raising money for football stadium
September 11, 2015
By: Amy Jenson
The crowds, the bleachers and the lights are all part of Friday night football. But one Texoma school doesn’t have those luxuries.
After years of homemade goalposts, broken scoreboards and limited seating, the Oklahoma School for the Deaf is now working to raise money to bring Friday night lights to their students.
“I mean that’s not right,” Athletic Director Tommy Varner said. “Kids need to feel like this is their home and something to be proud of.”
Teacher, Athletic Director and football coach, Varner says every week his team must travel to another stadium or play on Saturday morning because their field is inadequate.
“We have to go up there because we have no lights, no nice bleachers, we don’t really have a stadium we can play on,” Varner said.
After nearly 90 years of playing football, OSD was able to buy a new scoreboard this year.
But, their practice equipment is rusted and the blocking sled is patched with duct tape.
“Since we are a state agency we can’t ask for a bond like public school does,” Varner said.
In the last four years, the school has raised a little over $11,000 but in order to get the new equipment, they need close to a million dollars.
“The kids need to experience Friday night lights, same as the other kids do,” Varner said.
“It seems like Friday night is the high school night and we have to play on Saturdays or Thursdays,” senior football player Justice Leathers said.
Leathers says he wants to play under the Friday night lights at home, just like everyone else.
“If we play any night games we have to play on a public school field or we have to travel because we have no lights,” Leathers said.
Click on the link if you would like to donate.
http://www.osd.k12.ok.us/org/osdfee/osdfee.htm
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