Hood River, The Dalles, Columbia Gorge Toyota raise more than $66,000 for high school programs

THE DALLES — On Sept. 15, the Hood River Valley and North Wasco County School Districts, in collaboration with the Columbia Gorge Toyota dealership, raised more than $66,000 for the high school athletic teams, clubs and extracurricular activities. Aaron and Rachel Carter of Columbia Gorge Toyota donated a 2023 Toyota Corolla as incentive to fundraise money for the student groups. The Hood River Valley Education Foundation obtained a gaming license from the state and printed 15,000 tickets, which were then distributed to teams, clubs and other programs between the two districts.

“We want to support the major athletics like the football, the basketball, cross country, track, softball, but those tend to get a bulk of the funds and attention. It’s the debate team, it’s the band, those programs sometimes get by the short end of the stick,” Aaron Carter said. “We wanted those programs to be able to really take control of their own destiny and raise money on an equal playing field.” For each $10 ticket sold, $9 went back to the team or program to cover fees, purchase equipment or just bolster their budget. The school district received the remaining $1 to cover printing and promotion costs. For eight months, the students and school districts sold tickets to friends and family, which entered their names in the drawing for the new car.