Sports program at CDDHS benefits from student participation at Plowing Match  

Written By Brian Lockhart

The sports program at Centre Dufferin District High School will benefit from the help student volunteers provided at the International Plowing Match held in Amaranth in September.

Dufferin Milk Producers paid them back with a $3,000 donation to the school's sports department to help with various sports-related expenses during the school year.

Orangeville District Secondary School students also volunteered their time, and that school received funds to help with its sports programs.

The International Plowing Match was a huge undertaking, with up to 90,000 visitors arriving for the five-day event.

“We had the International Plowing Match in Dufferin County this year so we had our milk tent and we gave away and sold ice cream,” explained Steve Illick, president of the Dufferin Milk Producers. “Kawartha Dairy helped us out. All kids under the age of 14 – we gave them ice cream, and everyone over that age, we sold them ice cream. We needed bodies to help, so we went to the two high schools, and said, if you send down three students in the morning and three kids in the afternoon and split it up between the two schools, whatever proceeds we make, we will donate to your sports programs. The kids got some volunteer hours. We're also going to be giving a donation of around $1,500 to the local food bank. It was a success – we gave away a bunch of free ice cream to elementary school students. We gave away 6,000 scoops. We only charged $5 for two scoops, and that was enough to more than pay for the ice cream we gave away, and still have a profit to give to the schools. We were very happy to be involved with the community and get the kids involved.”

The funds donated back to CDDHS will help the school's sports programs defray expenses incurred by sports teams participating in high school athletics.

“We're going to sit down and identify where the holes are and where that money is needed,” explained Matt Barlow, head of the athletic department at CDDHS. “I know there are some students who helped out that are passionate about cricket, there's others that are passionate about rugby. We're going to disperse the money to where it is most needed. That could be equipment or uniforms or just providing kids the opportunity play, who might not otherwise have that opportunity.”

CDDHS has a successful sports program with many enthusiastic student-athletes taking part in various high school sports throughout the school year.