The Republic Lady Tigers came up short against Bolivar in a 2-1 loss on penalty kicks Friday, but that doesn’t mean their night wasn’t a success. Republic raised about $7,700 for autism awareness, thanks to a series of fundraisers that culminated in the second annual Autism Speaks game.
Team members gathered support from the community, raising money over the past several months. They signed up business sponsors and held other fundraisers, including a bake sale and a silent auction. They also sold T-shirts for the event. Bolivar’s team purchased their own shirts to contribute to the fundraiser.
Coach Mike Hines has said since coming to Republic that one goal for his young program is to make a contribution to the community.
“I think right now the girls have a hard time understanding that process. But I think they’ll look back and reflect, and they’ll see this is something they’ll always remember,” he says. “The fact that we’ve raised so much money by a bunch of high school kids, to me, it’s very, very significant.”
On the field, Republic played Bolivar to a 1-1 tie through two overtime periods. When neither team scored, the game came down to penalty kicks, and Bolivar outscored Republic 4-3.