Avery County Quarterback Club Promoting Football at All Levels

From a young age, numerous kids in the Avery County area dream of one day playing football in the National Football League, college, or the high school level. One organization, the Avery County Quarterback Club, has been formed locally by concerned citizens and parents who want to make a difference in the lives of kids regardless of age who are excited about, wish to play, or are already playing the game at the local level.

“We’re not associated with the high school in any way. We’re just trying to raise funds while promoting football and helping kids play football in all of Avery County,” Club President Cale Smith said at the group’s meeting last week. “We are committed to helping the littler kids any way we can, as well as working with the middle schools and high school groups as well.”

Avery County Quarterback Club is laying the foundation to raise funds for various needs of football teams in the county. The group wants to help teams with needs ranging to t-shirts for players to assisting with purchasing football equipment and even the provision of meals for the high school football teams on game days. The group is also assisting the Avery High football teams with the sale of discount cards, a reusable card offering discounts at 17 High Country area restaurants and businesses. The cards cost only $20 and are available from players and parents, as well as at the front desk area at The Avery Journal-Times newspaper.

The Quarterback Club will be on hand at Avery football events and will have a plethora of items available for parents and die-hard fans to purchase to show their school spirit and support the sport in the county.

“We’ve been able to help out our local teams some already this summer. We’ve purchased shirts for the high school players who have went to camps earlier in the summer and we’ve raised money by doing a couple of road blocks, by selling doughnuts, and helping with the discount cards that are sold each year,” Smith stated.

The A.C.Q.C. is open for anyone to attend and join, as the group hopes to expand with additional parents and individuals who care about the game of football, as well as about making the game as safe, fun, and worthwhile to kids playing the sport locally as possible.

“Any funds that will be raised by the club will be used toward the kids,” Smith added. “We are a non-profit organization that meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, and we will be raising funds for the fall football teams as well as cheerleading during that season. We have a small group, and we want to get all the parents involved that we possibly can.”

The Avery County Quarterback Club is selling Avery apparel, such as hats, t-shirts, and sweatshirts, and is also helping with sponsorship of “Avery Fanfest”, a pigskin prelude cookout and program that will be held on the high school baseball field on Friday, August 6^th beginning at 7:30 p.m. to officially serve as a springboard to kickoff the coming season.

Avery County Quarterback Club meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Ugly Mugg Coffee and Creamery in Newland. Anyone with an interest in football and in helping to give young people the resources to play the game is welcome to attend. For more information on the club, please email club president Cale Smith at gstrees@att.net.