First-ever Big Game car raffle to benefit Napa and Vintage student-athletes
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
With all the great moments and all the history, one wouldn’t think that Big Game would need much more energy to get people excited about it.
But, at the annual Big Game on November 1st at Napa Memorial Stadium that will be the case. This year, the Napa and Vintage High Athletic Booster Clubs will team up and give away a car from Hanlees Napa Volkswagen.
“I’ve already heard a great amount of feedback that the schools are working together for a common goal, which is supporting our athletes,” said Katie Aaron, the president of the Vintage High Athletic Boosters. “I hope that through this cooperative effort will be able to show our community that our athletes can work together outside of the sports field.”
“They all compete against each other and they want to have those bragging rights,” said Lisa Ghisletta, the treasurer of the Napa High Athletic Boosters. “But in the end, they all are hanging out together, our families are friends, the kids are friends, we played youth sports together. So in the end, we’re all one community and so why not benefit both schools.”
Ghisletta and Aaron weren’t the only ones who were happy to see the two schools working together.
Napa Mayor Jill Techel also thought it was cool to see the two longtime rivals working together. Techel has been Napa’s mayor for 14 years.
“It just gives me chills when you mentioned that because it is really nice to see them pulling together and that they’ll be pulling the ticket at the Big Game,” she said. “And it means we’ll all be there together and getting excited about who’s gonna win the car. And all the profits will benefit the two high schools, so that’s wonderful.”
The winner will be announced at the end of the long halftime by Mark Ibanez, the lead sports anchor at KTVU Fox 2. Ibanez is also a Napa resident.
“He’s been a great supporter of the Napa community,” Ghisletta pointed out. “We’re really excited to have him be there as well.”
“It’s going to bring even more energy and I can’t imagine that happening,” Aaron added. “But I think it’s going to bring just a whole new level of excitement to the game.”
For a chance to win the car from Hanlees Napa Volkswagen you must buy a ticket. Tickets are being sold by athletes from both schools and in both school offices for $20 apiece. The person buying the ticket must be 18 years or older. All proceeds will benefit athletics at Napa and Vintage.
“We just want to support the communities that’s what we want to do,” Napa Hanless Automotive Group Director of Sales Operation Jim Totah explained at the Big Game Car Raffle kickoff party on Septemeber 8th. “We want to be involved in the community. It’s very important for us to be involved in the community. Sports are a big part of kids’ education rather than play sports and get off the streets and not do all that other stuff.”
Athletes at both schools aren’t being required to sell the tickets, but it is encouraged. Each athlete’s goal is to sell five tickets, but if the athlete is a multiple sport athlete it can double or triple.
This is the first car give away to come to Big Game, but the idea came from the Almond Bowl game up in Chico between Pleasant Valley and Chico High Schools.
In the weeks leading up to Big Game tickets will be available for purchase at each of the school’s home games.
On November 1st, the JV game will start at 4:45 with the varsity game at 7 p.m. Big Game week is also a spirit week for both schools.
This year’s Big Game with be the 48th edition. Napa leads the all-time series 28-17-2, but Vintage has won the last two Big Games. Last year, Vintage won 69-14 to secure their first league title since 2005.
