BY MAT CLOUSER
BRANDON — For the last 69 years, all-star Vermont and New Hampshire high school football players have been squaring off in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl game to help raise funds for the Shriners Children’s Hospitals as part of 30 Shrine games nationwide.
The hospitals, which have already received more than $4.5 million during the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl’s history, will see a fair bit more this year thanks to Brandon’s own Dylan Stevens-Clark, who was named one of five team captains on Tuesday after raising over $6,000—more than any other member of the team, all of whom are graduated seniors and are required to raise a minimum of $500.
Stevens-Clark—who mainly played tight end for the Otters but drew the all-star coaches’ attention during a brief stint at defensive end in last year’s game against BFA Fairfax—was able to blitz his way to the top spot through a veritable 5-technique smorgasbord of fundraising tactics—and took down a spot as an assistant coach for next season’s JV squad in the process.
Among Stevens-Clark’s go-to moves were selling raffle tickets to Red Sox and Patriots games; selling ads for the game day program; selling game day banners; and generous online and in-person donations from the community, including generous donations from Beyond the Barn Farm, the mechanical bull ride at Brandon’s Independence Day festivities, and the Harper Rose Softball Tournament.
This year’s game will be played on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 12 p.m. in David Wolk Stadium at Castleton University. Tickets are available at the gate or at www.shrinemaplesugarbowl.com.
