From Staff Reports

While fundraising is a necessity for most organizations at Coppell High School, it is a challenge to find a unique and entertaining way to generate the funds.

The Coppell Cowboys basketball team ventured off the beaten path from the familiar coupon cards or other goods by other sports team to sell one unusual product: food serving expertise.

Sunday, the second annual Players to Waiters fundraiser will be held at J. Macklin’s Grill. The junior varsity team will serve from 3-6 p.m., while the varsity will serve from 6-9 p.m.

In its first year of its existence, the Players to Waiters fundraiser was held at the then-recently opened Sfizio’s restaurant off of Denton Tap Rd. However due to limited space, this year’s fundraiser will be held at J. Macklin’s Grill.

“Sfizios was small,” Coppell boys coach Kit Pehl said. “We wanted this to be a varsity and junior varsity event. Sfizios was more than accomodating and we had a great time, but there were a lot of people that had to wait. We had a hard time accommodating [the players’] parents alone, so we just wanted a venue that was a little larger to have more participants.”

The idea was started by former Coppell Cowboys player Josh Feitl’s father, Dave Feitl, where players are responsible for taking orders and serving the food to patrons, mostly family and friends of the players. The idea was so successful that Pehl wanted to continue it this year.

“It was such a fun evening that it was a no-brainer to do it again,” Pehl said.

Last year, the team raised almost $1,800 but this year, Pehl is expecting a different turnout.

“I’m expecting a lot more people since it is at J. Macklin’s and last year [it] was at Sfizios, which had just opened,” senior forward Collin Wallace said. “I’m looking forward to working this Sunday with the team.”

Besides the change in venue, the program has made advertising the event paramount in its creation to make sure all of Coppell is welcomed.

“We’ve done a better job promoting it and seeing to it that the community knows about it,” Pehl said.

The night is an interesting take on the old-fashion fundraiser; one that is a great time for the players.

“I enjoyed it a lot,” Wallace said. “Being one of the only juniors working with the seniors last year was a lot of fun.”