A Drumheller U12 soccer team is hoping they can build support to build its clubhouse at the soccer pitch.
The U12 Raptors have entered the BMO Team of the Week contest, hoping to win $125,000 to put towards their facility.
The Team of the Week contest is a national competition. Each week from April 18 to July 25, a panel of judges will select a BMO Team of the Week. After 15 teams are selected, they turn the judging over to Canadians and they will be able to vote for their favourite team. The team with the most votes will win the grand prize that will be announced in September.
The U12 Raptors has nine boys and four girls playing and are coached by Mark Olbrich and Cameron Chapin. The players have taken an active role in fundraising and their efforts continue long after the season ends. The goal is to construct a clubhouse at the fields to store gear, give teams a meeting place and a place for spectators in inclement weather.
Some of their efforts have included an annual bottle drive where they support the Caps Off For Kids program. This is where they gather the caps from the bottles they collect. A pound of caps is equal to 10 cents, and this is donated to the Rainbow Society of Alberta. This organization grants wishes to children with chronic to life threatening illnesses.
Team members also help out with their regular barbecues at Freson Bros. IGA, and do a fundraiser where they serve at Boston Pizza. They also hold an annual Christmas fundraiser and donate half the funds to the Arthritis Society.
To support them go to http://community.bmo.com/soccer/, and search for Drumheller. There you can log support for the team. This could help them be selected as a finalist. If they are one of the top 15 teams, the voting period is from August 13 to August 27.
