To the Editor:
The Martha’s Vineyard football program is rebuilding — and we’re asking our community to help.
The past few years have been challenging for Vineyard football. Roster numbers have been low, and last season, they reached the point where the team had to cancel its biggest rivalry game, the Island Cup. After the season, the team’s head coach left for a new opportunity in Florida.
But these kids didn’t quit.
This year, longtime Assistant Coach Zeke Vought has stepped into the head coaching role, and there is real energy around the program. The players are showing up, working hard, and playing with heart. Our first home game drew a terrific crowd, and reminded us how much fun a Friday night football game can be for the whole Island.
And there are encouraging signs for the future: Our junior high and flag football programs are growing, with younger kids excited about the game and the opportunity to someday play for the Vineyard.
One challenge this season has been finding teams to play. A number of factors have made scheduling unusually difficult, and one of the games the Vineyard has been able to secure requires the team to travel all the way to Orange — roughly a three-hour drive from Woods Hole.
The school can provide a regular school bus, but that means about six hours on a school bus in one day, including a three-hour ride home after playing a full football game.
We’d like to give them a better ride.
The Martha’s Vineyard Touchdown Club is raising $3,000 to charter a coach bus to Orange, giving the players and coaches a more comfortable place to rest on the long trip there and home.
And we already have a great start! Miller’s Professionals and Red Tail Caretaking have each generously donated $500, putting our first $1,000 toward the bus. We are incredibly grateful to both businesses for stepping up for these kids.
Now we’re asking the rest of the Island to help us get them the rest of the way. Whether it’s $20, $50, $100, or more, every contribution gets us closer.
This isn’t just about a bus. It’s about supporting a group of kids and coaches who have stuck with this program through a difficult stretch, and are working hard to rebuild it. It’s about showing them that their community sees their effort and is behind them.
Please donate through our Zeffy fundraiser here: tiny.cc/FootballTeamBus
These kids keep showing up for Vineyard football. We hope the Island will show up for them.
Go Vineyard!
Caroline Flanders, Katelyn Holway, Chick Stapleton, Moira Silva
Touchdown Club executive committee
