Anyone who has Wildcat pride in their heart has a fantastic opportunity to win an amazing sculpture while helping out the Varsity Boys Basketball team at the same time.
The basketball team will be holding a nearly month-long raffle for the ‘Traveling Wildcat,? a 4?-foot-tall, 20-inch-wide carving of a wildcat sitting on a post with the words ‘Oxford Wildcat? carved into it. (See photo left.)
Varsity Head Coach Paul Marfia was approached by Oxford resident Gary Elzerman with the idea of doing a carving and donating it to the basketball program to be raffled off. The coach jumped at the idea.
‘I said hey, it sounds like a great idea to me,? Marfia said. ‘Once he finished the project and I had the chance to take a look at it, I was very impressed by the obvious skill and talent involved with it.?
The Wildcat will travel around town and stop at different locations for people to purchase raffle tickets.
Tickets will be $5 each or $10 for three. They’re on sale now until half-time at the Friday, Oct. 1 homecoming football game.
It started it’s journey at the Varsity football game against Southfield-Lathrup on Friday, Sept. 3.
From there it spent Labor Day weekend at Harvest Time Market before being moved to Leonard Elementary Sept. 7-9.
The rest of the schedule for the traveling wildcat is as follows:
Sept. 9: 9th grade/junior varsity football game against Farmington at Wildcat Stadium.
Sept. 11-12: True Value Hardware (190 S. Washington St.)
Sept. 13-15: Lakeville Elementary (1400 E. Lakeville Rd.)
Sept. 16-17: Oxford Middle School (1420 Lakeville Rd.)
Sept. 17: Varsity football game against Farmington Harrison at Wildcat Stadium.
Sept. 18-19: Casa Real (21 S. Washington St.)
Sept. 20-21: Daniel Axford Elementary (74 Mechanic St.)
Sept. 23: Varsity soccer game against Pontiac (109 Pontiac St.)
Sept. 23-24: Oxford Elementary School (109 Pontiac St.)
Sept. 25-26: 24th St. Tavern (13 S. Washington St.)
Sept. 27-29: Clear Lake Elementary (2085 W. Drahner Rd.)
Sept. 30-Oct. 1: Oxford High School (745 N. Oxford Rd.)
The money generated from the sale of raffle tickets will go directly towards the basketball program at Oxford High School. ‘The more we can raise funds on our own, the less of a burden it is on the athletic department,? Marfia said.
The wood carving will be raffled off at the end of the third quarter during the homecoming game against Rochester Adams on Friday, Oct. 1.
Marfia said that he appreciates all of the support that has been given to the basketball program and for the future support.
‘This is going to be a win-win situation…somebody gets a beautiful piece of art to display their Wildcat spirit and in turn hopefully it will help our basketball program and benefit a lot of these kids that are involved with it,? he added.