Wiseman: RNE coaches dress to impress

GAME DAY preparation for Richland Northeast’s coaches Friday meant flowery dresses, purses and boas.

Given that fact, it shouldn’t be a surprise the Cavaliers came out on the short end of a 35-28 score against Spring Valley.

But as hard as losing that game was for the Cavaliers, their fans and the coaching staff, comfort remains in another number: 4,000.

That’s the approximate amount of dollars donated to the Coaches Curing Kids Cancer charity through a rivalry week fundraiser at RNE and Spring Valley. At RNE, part of the deal was the coaches would wear dresses at the school’s game-day pep rally if at least $100 was donated in their names.

The students brought in nearly $2,300, which meant every coach on the football staff paraded around in front of the student body in drag Friday morning at the RNE gym

So much for putting your game face on. But the educational opportunity outweighed any personal embarrassment. The majority of the money raised between the two schools came from RNE.

“It’s good for teenagers to see the coaches in a different role,” said Tiffany Ligon, director of ninth-grade activities at RNE, “and see them supporting a great cause and see them acting a little silly when the students gave them a challenge.”

The idea for the drag queen session came from within the coaches’ ranks. RNE assistant coach Rodney Summers was personally affected by pediatric cancer. His son, Bryce, is a leukemia survivor.

The money raised stays in the Midlands, where it will be donated to the pediatric oncology unit at Columbia’s Palmetto Health Children's Hospital.

Gina Janvrin coordinated the fundraiser for Curing Kids Cancer, the organization that partnered with the coaches for this event. Atlanta-based Curing Kids Cancer was founded by Janvrin’s brother, Clay Owen, whose son, Killian Owen, died from leukemia at age 9.

Owen was grateful for the spirit students from both schools put into the event.

“They used passing and energy of a rivalry game to help create a great atmosphere to benefit children’s cancer research,” Owen said.

The fundraising continued even after RNE’s coaches traded their dresses for polos, shorts and headsets at Harry Parone Stadium.

Fans from both schools dropped change and stuffed bills into containers at the stadium to pump the total to $4,000.

“I think it’s remarkable that it comes out of kids,” Janvrin said. “We would see them with Ziploc bags of change. You could tell they emptied out their piggy banks.”

With a repeat event planned for next year, Spring Valley plans a double victory.

“Our kids are always very excited about doing things like that,” said Olisa Ashford, Spring Valley’s student activities coordinator. “They were upset they didn’t have the opportunity to have as much time to raise money. We will be well-prepared.”

But will the Vikings coaches be well-dressed? We’ll see next year.