On Saturday, March 21, adults across Tri-Valley participated in a fundraiser known as Amazing Race, held to support AV Athletics.
“This fundraiser involved restaurants and stores in downtown Pleasanton. The community, as well as the school, needed to come together to make this a success,” said Jennifer Heid, participant and a teacher at Donlon Elementary.
A Unique Take on Fundraising
The Amazing Race fundraiser involved challenges where participants ran across downtown Pleasanton, collaborating with local businesses to hide clues. Based on the show “The Amazing Race”, teams of 4-6 people worked to solve puzzles and make it to the finish line, at the Veterans Memorial.
“This year we wanted to do something more unique and fun. Amador Valley High School has an incredibly strong and supportive parent and booster community. The Amazing Race fits well with that spirit. It’s inclusive, energetic, and brings visibility to the school while raising important funds to support student‑athletes and programs,” said organizer Christy Duncan-Anderson.
The fundraiser was hosted by AV Boosters, a nonprofit organization that raises money to support AV athletic programs. Amador sports teams do not recieve funding from the school, so the funding comes from donations and fundraisers. At the end of the race, a silent auction where teams auctioned off gift baskets was held, which raised approximately $9,000 for the respective teams.
“It was…to support teams and their students, because we don’t get funding for sports teams. So we have to raise money to help our teams,” said Kelly Cantu, the Director of Fundraising for AV Boosters.
As the fundraiser was based on the show, it consisted of different challenges where teams had to solve clues to reach a final destination. Some of the challenges included memorizing the pattern of a sidewalk, or finding hidden Meadowlark Dairy tokens at Inklings Coffee and Tea.
“I appreciated the mailbox challenge. I felt like that was the most challenging of the different tasks…over the course of the Amazing Race. And it required some kind of logic and reason and mathematics and puzzle making to figure it all out,” said Christopher Murphy, participant and AP World History teacher at Amador.
Fun for a Cause
The turnout was immense; about 15 to 20 teams came to the fundraiser. Many of the participants have children who play sports at Amador, which drives their participation.
“My boys are very involved in the sports programs at Amador, and we are thankful for the great coaches and amazing programs. We have had such a wonderful experience with each of the sports my boys have participated in (football, soccer, and track)- that we are happy to support the future of those programs,” said Heid.
For future fundraisers like these, organizers express their wishes for more volunteers in order to have the event run smoothly. Many hope that this event will continue in the future, maybe with a kid-friendly version as well.
“So maybe in future years, they would have a family version of the amazing race, in round one. And then round two would be adults that don’t really care if they win or not, and aren’t going to run to win. And then maybe the third tier is the people that are playing to win and are going to run from station to station,” said Murphy.
The success of the Amazing Race fundraiser reflects the importance of community involvement.
“The Amazing Race is a great reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together for a shared goal. I am grateful for the support of the faculty, staff, coaches, and many volunteers that made this fun event happen,” said Duncan-Anderson.
