MOSES LAKE, Wash. – After just over a month of hard work, the Community Athletics and Activities Organization has raised over $327,000 so students in the Moses Lake School District can enjoy extracurricular activities in the upcoming school year.
Ingrid Delerosa, a soccer player in Moses Lake, was scared wat the thought of loosing her senior season.
To Delerosa, soccer is more than just a sport.
“You just connect with everyone and feel relaxed and like this is a mellow safe space that you are able to just be yourself and do something that you love,” she said.
Ryan Carpenter, a former Moses Lake Athlete and president of the Community Athletics and Activities Organization, has been working tirelessly with the CAA team to make extracurriculars possible in the upcoming school year.
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“I just couldn’t imagine being in their shoes,” Carpenter said. “We are a large 4A school in the State of Washington and for us not to have athletics and activities, that just boggled my mind.”
After a $55,000 donation from Moses Lake Industries, the CAA surpassed the amount needed to make these activities a possibility again.
Meadow Saenz, another Moses Lake soccer player, said this news brings nothing but pure excitement.
“Soccer has been one of my safe spaces, one of my places I can be comfortable,” Saenz said. “It is definitely where a lot of my friendships have started.”
Despite the challenges it faced this past year, the Moses Lake community stayed resilient.
Carpenter said the amount of money raised shows how much the community supports students and their passions.
For Saenz and Delarosa, it means getting to play their hearts out in their senior season.
“I am happy and excited to enjoy my senior year fully,” Delarosa said.
As great as Friday’s donation was, there is still work to do.
Roughly $330,000 still needs to be raised for transportation and over $1 million is needed for coaches.
You can find a link to donate here.
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