For the past two weeks leading up to Dec. 20, multiple clubs have taken time to support the Freedom High School DECA chapter by making ribbons for the upcoming Gold Rush game.
FHS DECA has combined with multiple other clubs this year for their annual community service project, the Gold Rush game. The game takes place on Dec. 20, and is the biggest rivalry game of the year, where all the boys and girls Eagles basketball teams–Varsity, JV, and Freshman–battle against the Champe Knights.
“We wanted to encourage participation in this year’s Gold Rush game and we believed that giving other clubs and students an opportunity to support a great cause would be a good way to boost school spirit,” said Inaya Zubair, a senior and one of DECA’s vice presidents of community service and historian for FHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
For the past few years, DECA has created and sold shirts that can be purchased at school leading up to the game. Someone who buys and wears the Gold Rush shirt is able to get into all of the games for free. The proceeds from the shirt sales are donated to Saint Jude’s to help fund childhood cancer research.
At the game, DECA hands out different colored ribbons that each stand for a different kind of cancer to help raise awareness. This year, Key Club made yellow ribbons (childhood cancer awareness), National Honor Society made pink ribbons (breast cancer awareness), and FBLA made green ribbons (lymphatic cancer awareness).
“DECA decided to allow other clubs to join in on the ribbon making to make this more of a school wide event rather than solely a DECA event,” Zubair said.
DECA’s officers have high hopes for the turnout for this year’s games.
“We hope it’s our biggest event yet,” Zubair said. “Being a double header against our rivals, Champe, we expect there to be a major turn out to support childhood cancer awareness and our amazing basketball program!”
The Gold Rush double header will start at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, with the JV boys team and 9th grade girls team playing first. The varsity Lady Eagles are at 6:15 p.m., and the varsity boys will play at 7:45 p.m.
