After having a lot of success bringing back a fun fundraiser in 2024, organizers announced that this year’s Shawnee Powder Puff game will be held May 2 on the turf at Jim Thorpe Stadium.

“I think it was very successful last year,” said pom team member Abi Clements. “I think we got a lot of students involved, and a lot of families and community involvement.”

Clements said in addition to having fun and bringing students together from multiple activities, the event raised money that was shared by the football and pom teams.

“As a fundraiser it was also very successful, especially being its first year back,” Clements said. “Everyone had a lot of fun with it. The teams grew closer together and the money helped both teams.”

There will be four teams again this year. The team coach will come from the football team.

Coach Jason Madonna said that the players volunteer to coach and they held a draft Friday, April 18 to choose teams among the girls who sign up to play.

Last year, female athletes from every team in the school and some girls who didn’t play any other sports signed up for the tournament whose champions leave with a big pink trophy created especially for the winners of the event.

Drake Estrella will be one of the coaches and he said he was looking forward to working with his team and teaching them some football, but mainly just having fun with the competition.

“It’s nice to interact with the girls and teach them something about football,” Estrella said. He said his team had a plan with how they would select their team. “We want that top dog. We want someone with leadership who can keep the team focused.”

There’s a new twist to this year’s event. There will still be a lot of fun and sponsors and people buying tickets are still supporting the two programs financially. But this year, the girls will be learning about what it means to be a woman in leadership, not just in sports, but in their communities.

“We tried to expand on it and make it more than a fundraiser and a game,” said head football coach Jason Madonna. “So Wednesday before the game, all the girls who sign up will get a free breakfast at the school and we’re going to bring in female community leaders who will talk to them about what it is like to be a successful woman in our society and hopefully create some connections and mentorships that will benefit our participants.”

Coach Madonna said the event is great for his team because it leads the way into two weeks of spring practice where he gets to work with next year’s Shawnee Wolves football players for the first time. The money raised also helps with equipment and other needs for the team during the spring and summer and into next season.

Clements said the money was also important to the pom team.

“We have a lot of new members this year and the money we raise helps with new uniforms and our camp this summer,” she said. “It’s very important for our team.”

There is still time to become a sponsor for the event to help both teams and provide some leadership education for the girls who sign up.

Sponsorships range from $150 to $500. For more information, contact Amanda Clements at (817) 253-1665 or clementsfam53@gmail.com.