And the winning ticket is. . .

By Allison Hickey

The annual NFHS Summer conference meeting in Palm Springs, CA this past July brought together members from high school athletic associations all across the country.

Peter Koste, a high school principal in Virginia, was at the summer conference for the first time in preparation for his upcoming position as the Executive Director Chairman on the Virginia High School League. Although he says that he has not had the best luck with raffles in the past, he bought six raffle tickets for $5 from Bob Kanaby, Executive Director of NFHS, at a meeting for first time attendees.

"I bought the tickets, but I was not expecting to win anything," Koste stated.

Koste attended the luncheon where the raffle was to be held on the afternoon of July 3, but he left the tickets he had purchased in his hotel room. When the winning ticket number was called for a set of brand new Nike golf clubs, and no one claimed their prize, Koste's luck took a turn for the better.

"I could sort of remember my numbers and I thought they could have been mine, so I went up to my room to get the tickets," Koste explained. When he realized he did have the winning ticket number, he was shocked. "It was the first time I've ever won anything!"

The best part about winning the gold clubs, according to Koste? "I didn't have to rent them anymore," he exclaimed.

Later that afternoon Koste was scheduled to play golf and was planning to rent clubs for $50. With the brand new clubs in tow, Koste went to a local golf shop and bought a club carrier instead.

"I needed a club carrier anyway, and the price was about the same as the rental fee for clubs. I came to the meeting empty handed and went home with new clubs and a carrier for the same amount I had planned on spending," he said.

Koste says he is not an avid golfer (which he intends to be when he retires). Although he said, "I golf maybe 15 to 20 times in a summer and not much during the year," he was very excited for the chance to update his preexisting clubs. "I don't plan to change the set at all. I am just keeping the clubs I had that were not included in the Nike set," he said.

The luncheon raffle at the conference is an annual event to raise money for the NFHS Foundation. The foundation raises money in the interest of awarding grants for research and program development in areas including character education and sports risk minimization. These areas serve the interest of young people who participate or want to participate in interscholastic sports and activities. The NFHS was able to raise $1,535 from selling the raffle tickets.

NFHS Chief Operating Officer Bob Garner could not be more thrilled. "We were pleased for the memberships' participation in the summer meeting activities to raise money for the foundation. All of the donations given for the auction are greatly appreciated. We believe the foundation's activities add a fun element to the summer meeting, and the proceeds support worthy initiatives for young people."

Hickey was a summer intern in the areas of publications, marketing and coaches education. She graduated from Indiana University in May with a degree in journalism and a second concentration in apparel merchandising.