9-year-old Oakland football players headed to championship trip; other teams need help
Amaree Harper, wide receiver for the Oakland Dynamites.
OAKLAND, Calif. - The 9-year-old Oakland Dynamites football players are feeling pretty grateful this Thanksgiving: They have enough money to go to their championship games in Florida in two weeks.
By Thursday morning, the team, "Real Town Bidness," had more than $23,000, which is more than enough to send the 22 boys and even some of their guardians to Florida to participate in the American Youth Football National Championships, held from Dec. 7 to 14. It's the first time the 9-year-olds made it to the nationals.
"The community did their big one today," said Kirsten Cuaresma, whose son, Vivi Scott, is the quarterback.
By "big one," Cuaresma meant a huge fundraising effort the team launched early Wednesday morning, when they only had $110 and didn't think they'd be able to afford to go.
But the team's coaches, Vernard Scott and Terry Hendrix, called KTVU for help.
Hours after KTVU's story was published, the community pitched in and the money started flowing.
"We are so appreciative of the city of Oakland and all supporters," Scott said on Thursday.
His next steps? Book the AirBnBs for the group, figure out transportation and plan some activities for the boys when they are in Naples.
According to the team's GoFundMe, top donors include Tyson Ross and Marshall Dortch who each gave $500 and Sagar Gandhi, who gave $250. In all, more than 500 people donated to send the team to the championship games.
East Bay Warriors football team. Photo: Murida Lacy
The 9-year-old's visible success, however, had other Bay Area teams reaching out for help, too. The 11-year-old Oakland Dynamites are still fundraising toward their goal of also going to the championship games, as is the 8-year-old team.
Murida McGee, who has two players on the East Bay Warriors team, said the 12-year-old and 13-year-old football teams also qualified for the nationals and many can't afford the trip without help.
"Most of our players live in underserved communities as well as attending underserved schools," she said.
On the Peninsula, the 10-year-old Menlo Atherton Vikings Pop Warner football team – all 26 players and eight coaches – are trying to play in the Pacific Northwest Region at nationals in Orlando, Florida.
"Unfortunately, many of our families are struggling to cover the costs of airfare after already stretching to pay for the Nationals package, which includes lodging and other expenses," the team's vice president, Erika Atkins, said. "Without additional support, some of our players may not be able to join their team in Florida."
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HELPING: The 8-year-old Oakland Dynamites, click here. The 11-year-old Oakland Dynamites, click here. The 12-year-old East Bay Warriors, click here. The 13-year-old East Bay Warriors, click here. The 10-year-old Menlo Atherton Vikings, click here.