ARLINGTON — What happens on the field in the fall is largely dictated by the spring and summer seasons.
With scrimmages and practices scheduled for the next month and a half, Arlington High School football boosters are looking to supplement school funds and advance the program with a trio of upcoming fundraisers.
“These events are where we fill in the rest of our needs and, hopefully, get us some of our wants,” said Arlington High School head football coach Greg Dailer.
The first is the most crucial for the program, the Regal Eagle Auction, which is hosted by the Arlington Gridiron Club.
With a dinner to start the June 19 event at 5 p.m., the auction has a number of bigticket items, from weekend getaways and donated airline miles to hotel packages.
“We usually do a pretty good job because the community is very supportive,” Dailer said. “We don’t want for much because everybody is behind what we are trying to do, even in rough times like these.”
Dailer said that the school does provide funds for the football team, but since equipment is so expensive, those funds only go as far as replacing worn-out equipment like shoulder pads.
The Eagles are looking to get new uniforms for the varsity this year, along with an end zone camera and a tagging system that will better keep track of all the equipment.
The next event is the Eagle Open Golf Tournament, which sends entry fee proceeds to the program.
“That’s something we like to do to get to know the community,” Dailer said. “It’s fun to go out there and meet people interested in football or just in their community.”
The tournament, set for July 17 at Glen Eagle, is a four-man scramble with the entry fee being $80 per person. For those looking to try their luck, there is a $10,000 hole-in-one prize on all par 3’s.
Finally, Dailer and his staff get to see how well their players have learned the fundamentals, as they help aspiring football players learn at the Arlington Eagles Youth Camp, scheduled for July 19-21 at the Post Middle School Field. This is a non-contact skills camp.
“This is just a way us coaches can get to know the younger football players in the area and they get to meet the varsity guys and see what it takes to play for Arlington,” Dailer said.
