Island high school raises 40K to replace aging sports uniforms

A P.E.I. high school has crowd-sourced enough money to purchase new team uniforms for more than 200 student athletes.

Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside, P.E.I., raised $40,000 through an online Go Fund Me Campaign over a 13-month period.The money raised was used to replace aging uniforms for the school's 24 extra-curricular sports teams.

It was pretty exciting. It was awesome to see.- Joel Arsenault

Joel Arsenault, Three Oaks' athletics director said the school decided to do a uniform drive to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2016.

A letter wassent on behalf of the schoolasking local businesses for donations. Eventually, acommittee wasstruck and one of its members suggested the athletics department launch a Go Fund Me campaign, which is a way to raise money for specific causes online.

Arsenault said the teams were touched by the generosity of community members.

Generous community support

"If you look at the Go Fund me page I think it was 125 or so different donors. And that would be businesses as well as alumni and community members, and all those people together," Arsenault said.

"It was pretty exciting. It was awesome to see."

According to Arsenault,most of the student athletes have now been outfitted with new uniforms. Prior to the campaign, many of the uniforms were nearly 10 years old.

"We've heard a lot of goodthings about [the new uniforms] andstudents are very fortunate to benefit from what we've done," he said.

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