100K Donations Given to Central, South LaFourche High School Athletic Departments
Source: Emily Enfinger, The Courier, Houma Today
Central and South Lafourche high schools were each given a $100,000 donation to benefit their athletic departments after the campuses sustained a range of damage caused by Hurricane Ida.
Central's Trojans were minutes away from departing for their game against Lutcher on Friday when they were delivered the news of The Game Coin's donation. The Game Coin is a cryptocurrency in the sports realm, having launched only months ago, with a purpose to give back a percentage to charity.
"We know y'all have been hit very hard by Hurricane Ida. We would like to give y'all a donation of $100,000 to use as the athletic department sees fit; to build your sports program back up and let those kids get back to those sports and lives that they love," Game Coin cofounder David Mahler said over the video call.
The football players were stunned; jaws dropped and then the team erupted into cheers.
For the schools, the donation will help repair damage, replacing equipment and uniforms that were lost to the storm and supplementing travel expenses.
"It's amazing. We’re very much appreciative of Game Coin and their organization, you know, for giving us this money. I'm just so excited for our student-athletes," said South Lafourche athletic director Brian Callais. "You know we took a big blow with this storm and this money will allow us to hopefully give them some type of a normal rest of the season and the rest of the school year for our student-athletes."
As it looks now, the rest of South Lafourche's football and volleyball games will have to be away, Callais said.
He said the school has scrambled to find a gym for the volleyball players to practice in.
"We live in a great community. We were knocked down but we're not knocked out," Callais said. "We might take a little standing eight count, but we'll be back."
Mahler said The Game Coin is the first sports cryptocurrency with a purpose, by giving back to charity, and that the company was able to raise $700,000 in its first 90 days.
"With us being from Louisiana, with Hurricane Ida hitting, we just saw it as something that would be huge to be able to give back to our own community," Mahler told The Courier and Daily Comet.
Central Lafourche Principal Chris Arnold said the donation gives peace of mind that the schools have support not only from the immediate area but also from beyond.
Students at Central Lafourche are set to return to class next Monday. Arnold said the school is hopeful that it will be able to host some home games this season to give the community an opportunity to watch its teams play without having to travel.
