The Homer High School Booster Club has been getting creative this year to make up for an annual fundraising mechanism that hasn’t been possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A lot of the individual teams fundraise for their travel and expenses doing their own fundraisers and raffles,” said booster club member Paul Story.

This school year, those face-to-face fundraising events haven’t been an option, he said.

In place of the lost individual fundraising mechanisms, the booster club instituted a system that raises money for all Homer High teams. It’s a split the pot fundraiser that began in the fall. It continues now during the winter sports season, and will be held once more in the spring.

The fundraiser follows the simple split the pot rules, with the winner getting half of the amount the boosters are able to raise by the deadline. The club’s goal is to raise $10,000, and the cut off day to enter and donate is that of the drawing, Feb. 27. The winner will be drawn at random at 5 p.m. that day. If the club’s fundraising goal is reached, the winner would get $5,000.

To sign up to enter, visit go.rallyup.com/marinerpride or test “mariners’ to 855-202-2100.

Story said that in addition to the individual team fundraisers, the booster club also made a decent amount of money from concession stands at home games and events. Those also have not been possible during the pandemic.

The money raised through the split the pot fundraiser supports 16 teams at the high school: football, cheerleading, swimming, cross-country running, volleyball, hockey, girls and boys basketball, cross-country skiing, Drama, Debate and Forensics, wrestling, girls and boys soccer, softball, baseball and track and field.

Story said the funds raised to go support everything from transportation to the cost of paying for uniforms. All the myriad expenses of running a team add up, he said, especially the travel.

“In Alaska the travel is pretty significant,” Story said.

Being able to help offset the costs of playing a sport helps reduce the costs to local families, he said.

Story said he hopes those who normally contribute to an individual team’s face-to-face fundraiser or raffle will think of the split the pot fundraiser the same way. It’s online this year, but it’s supporting those same kids.

Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.