PENDLETON — For more than 30 years, the 300 Club has been providing additional funding for all of Pendleton Heights athletics. This year, athletic director Chad Smith is adding a wrinkle, hoping to rejuvenate interest in the fundraiser and help further bolster the school’s athletic program.
The 300 Club raises money through the sale of numbers, which are drawn at football and basketball games. Smith said there are people new to the area or to the program who don’t know what the club is or what it does.
“What I’m finding with the 300 Club is that people are coming up to me and asking me what it is,” he said. “A lot of people that were original members have cycled through. They’ve either passed away or their kids aren’t involved in school anymore, so they aren’t as involved anymore.”
Ping pong balls numbered 1 to 300 are placed in a hopper, and at 10 sporting events — three football games and 7 basketball games — a ball is drawn. An orange ball is a sold number and indicates a winner, while a white ball is an open number with no winner. If an orange ball is drawn on the first try, the winner gets $300, but if a white ball is drawn, balls will continue to be pulled until an orange one is pulled, and that winner will receive $100.
If a winner is not drawn with the first ball, the drawing at the next event will be worth $500.
Smith said 65 numbers were sold last year, which is similar to the previous year. He would like to increase those sales and has instituted a price break for anyone wishing to purchase multiple numbers.
“A couple people have multiple numbers,” he said. “They’ve always asked if there was a discount for that, and there hasn’t been. We’re going to do that this year.”
“It’s a $60 membership, and any additional memberships are $40,” he added. “So, you can get two for $100, basically.”
Twenty of the school’s 21 sports have their own booster club, but the 300 Club is the only fundraiser that supports the entire athletics program. Smith said the club is valuable because it allows each booster club to focus on the more enjoyable aspects of the sport without being concerned with the needs of the athletes, such as uniforms.
“I want to be able to fund a sport as much as possible,” he said. “I would like those booster clubs to be able to do the fun stuff. They buy sweatshirts or team apparel so the players all match; I want them to be able to do that.”
Members do not need to be present to win, and they can win multiple times as the balls are returned after they are drawn. There is no deadline for joining the club, but the sooner one joins, the more chances there are to win.
“They can join anytime they want,” Smith said. “Obviously, you’ve missed out on an opportunity if you join late.”
Last year, there was a top winner of $1,100; a total of $3,000 was given away. The first drawing will be Sept. 1.