When some said no, Mason Football said YES!
Volunteers are the backbone of Pause! With only 10 paid staff serving over 1,200 caregivers and kiddos… volunteers are essential to make programming happen for Pause families. While Pause is known for volunteer opportunities with kids, there are SO many more ways to get involved as a group!
Don’t know if you’ve heard, but a few weeks ago we hosted a gala (cue shameless plug for the #BestNightEver). Center Pointe so graciously allowed Pause to use their beautiful space for our event, but afterwards there were 30 tables and over 1,000 chairs that needed to be put back into their original rows for church services happening the next morning. With over 1,000 chairs to move we knew we couldn't do it alone, so we reached out to our friend Brian Castner, head football coach for Mason High School.
What made Brian’s “Count us in!” response special were the declined invitations from other teams that came before. We understood! It’s football season. Playoffs were pending. Practice is already 5-6 days a week. There were a lot of reasons saying no made sense. We attribute Mason’s engagement and “yes” to the Long Green Line culture Brian has worked really hard at creating during his time as Head Coach.
“It’s a unique situation, for this year specifically, of a group of young men that are really unselfish. We’ve always helped the community. Our culture is the big four (faith, family, academics and football) the three questions (1) are you committed, (2) are you giving great effort and (3) can I trust in you. We walk that, we don't just talk it. I think the biggest thing with this group that volunteered, is that they are a group of young men - teenagers rather - that are just really unselfish and it permeates to the whole team, especially on a Saturday night in the middle of a season.
“The biggest thing to highlight is you all and what you represent. The players' eyes perked up when I told them what Pause stands for. When I brought this opportunity up to the players, they were like, “Yes, we want to help!” It started off with 8 kids, then 12 and before we knew it we had over 20 that wanted to help. They’re kids that really want to give back and want to make sure they can help out. We’re getting a lot from the organization and what Pause stands for and how we’re able to help out with such a great organization. It’s pretty cool to help out.”
- Brain Castner, Mason Football Head Coach
Over 25 varsity and JV players arrived just as the gala was finishing to move chairs, vacuum, tear down pipe and drape and even take out the trash! They made the hard work look easy and while the physical labor was incredibly helpful, it was inspiring to look beyond that. They encouraged each other, held each other accountable and constantly were assessing if they were showing up their best selves - not to look good, but to authentically be kind and helpful. We loved the reminder that the world is more fun and impactful when we can just show up and serve in its simplest form. Mason football team - you are true men and it was an honor to serve beside you and to see you representing your community well. #Top1%
Want to know more about volunteering as a group? We would love to chat! Volunteering for the first time at any organization can be overwhelming, but volunteering with a friend or better yet a group of people can feel much more comfortable, secure and fun! Many of our volunteers come from a variety of groups including high school clubs, service learning organizations, National Honors Societies, local colleges and universities, professional agencies, church communities, Girl Scout Troops and more!
To learn more about ways to get involved as a group at events, through service projects or by leading a donation drive, email us at questions@pauseforparents.org.
This is CAN DO. This is COMMUNITY. This is YOUR SUPPORT.
