Spirit night, raffle tickets and doughnuts are standard to fundraising and still with merit, but about two years ago Dunwoody High School girls soccer team former co-chairs and current co-presidents of the booster club, Paige Garrigan and Kim Josephson wanted to raise the bar.
“We wanted a different fundraiser that would not only bring in funds, but maybe teach the girls something along the way,” said Garrigan.
Not knowing what they were getting into, their first paint can fundraiser in 2019 collected over 2,000 gallons of paint and were thrilled.
Convenient home pick up and a scan for payment have since been added. Josephson noted that about 20 percent of the donated cans last year came from the home pick-up service offered.
“Almost a year later right in the middle of the pandemic we thought we were going to crush it or fall flat. We doubled what we did the first year. You talk about exhaustion after a fundraiser. It is hard, hard work for that short period of time but worth it on so many levels, not just monetarily but because of what you are doing and how you’re helping not only the soccer team, but across the board. It’s kinda win for everybody,” Garrigan added.
It’s a fundraiser made for those who wish to stay at home or drive up and stay in their car. All latex and oil-based paints in their original containers, any size including spray cans, are accepted. The team has partnered with Atlanta Paint Disposal in their endeavor to recycle, and the reusable paint is filtered and donated back to communities.
The fundraiser will be held at Dunwoody High School for those who want to drive to the event. It’s as simple as driving up and popping the trunk. All the soccer players come over and remove all the paint cans.
“I used the DHS Girls soccer team paint recycle pick up service last year and it was awesome. The process was super easy and it felt good to also support our local high school team,” wrote Karen Gallagher in an email to the AJC.
The funds collected are used internally. “A huge cost of the team is paying to practice – two rental fields for the season,” said Garrigan.
“We value the coaches,” said co-president Josephson. “… part of this fundraiser is to be able to thank them for their time, their nights in planning and practices, the filming. They put so much time in besides just on the field. They put their heart into it and that’s the booster’s way of saying we appreciate you and your time.”
Whether you’re a DIY, made improvements to your home during the pandemic or simply have old paint cans stored in your garage or basement from past projects you may very likely have some cans you need to dispose of.
“It’s very rewarding being able to contribute to sustainability efforts while also allocating resources to impactful programs such as Habitat for Humanity and the Boys and Girls Club. It’s allowed my teammates and I to learn that by coming together and consolidating our resources, we can make a large scale difference with little things such as paint cans,” wrote DHS senior Julia Gild.
Event: Saturday, January 22, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Dunwoody High School (student parking lot), 5035 Vermack Road.
For more information including drop off fees, scheduling home pick up or forms of payment, visit https://www.dunwoodygirlssoccer.com/paint-can-recycling-fundraiser-10-2
Each Sunday we write about a deserving person or charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To submit a story for us to cover, send to ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.
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