SPARTA, Mich. — An anonymous donor has stepped forward to pay all athletic and marching band participation fees for students at Sparta Middle and High Schools for the 2026-2027 school year.
WATCH STORY HERE
The donation will cover the $100 pay-to-play fee for all student athletes at the middle and high schools and marching band members, starting in the fall. The donor approached Sparta High School last week seeking a way to give back to the school and community.
"They wanted to know how much it would cost to cover the pay-to-play fees for all of our student athletes and our band members, and so we were able to get that information to them, and they said, you know what, that's what we want to do, we want to help," said Stacy Rumsey, Sparta High School principal.
The timing of the donation is particularly beneficial, as pay-to-play fees for fall sports were due in July.
Band Director Samuel Beeson said the financial barrier has prevented some families from participating in marching band activities.
"We've got a couple of families who are really interested in doing marching band that might have some financial barriers. I mean, I don't think it's any secret that marching band can be a very expensive thing," Beeson said.
Students expressed gratitude for the donation. Sophomore Abbigail Partridge, a member of the marching band, said: "My first thought was that's a lot of money, because like that's $100 for like 60 kids, and I'm just so, so grateful, because that takes off a lot of stress from a lot of students and a lot of parents."
Grace Schmid, a sophomore who plays basketball and softball, believes the donation will strengthen Sparta athletics.
"Some people can't play a sport because of that, and like it's just really kind that they can now, because someone did this for them, and probably really grateful for that too," Schmid said.
Athletic Director Josh Sepanik praised the donor's impact on students.
"To be able to help the next generation of students be able to participate in extracurricular activities and be able to achieve their goals and their dreams. I mean, that's fantastic," Sepanik said.
Beeson expressed his appreciation for the anonymous benefactor: "I wish I could thank them personally, but I can't. That's the whole point, but it means a lot to a lot to my students, a lot to my community. So, thank you."
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
