This school year, there was a lot of change in the athletic environment at The Villages High School.
From temperature checks and social distancing in locker rooms and host sites to postponed games and a postseason that was cancelled, there was a lot going on.
However, one constant throughout the epidemic was the backing Buffalo teams received from a committed group in the community.
Despite extraordinary circumstances, the Buffalo Booster Club remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting all things VHS athletics, attending games and maintaining fundraising efforts.
“They’re the most important group in our community when it comes to our athletic department,” said VHS athletic director and head football coach Richard Pettus. “They love our kids and have such a big investment in them, and we saw that this year maybe more than ever. I mean, who comes here and retires and then finds time to come up to a high school and support kids? They do – and we’re incredibly appreciative of them for it.”
During the school year, the Buffalo Booster Club meets in the VHS cafeteria every Thursday afternoon.
Despite the cessation of all in-person meetings for the 2020-21 year, the club found the means to continue to spread information about the teams they so passionately support.
“Each week since we couldn’t meet regularly, I sent out a newsletter to all the boosters,” said Gary Nellans, of the Village of Fernandina, who served as club president for the third year this school year. “Every Saturday morning, I’d let people know what happened over the past week and what events are coming up for the following week.”
The group has lost the ability to hold weekly 50-50 chance draws and other regular fundraising tactics due to the lack of in-person meetings.
However, this did not deter the organization from continuing its annual practice of awarding numerous scholarships to VHS senior student-athletes, with the total raised this year exceeding $7,000.
“We gave our members an opportunity to still contribute, and they were just phenomenal,” Nellans said. “We’ve just tried to stay as positive as we could throughout everything. We’re doing the best we can, just like the school, athletes and coaches are doing the best they can.”
Apart from the masks on their faces and the space between them in the bleachers, the Buffalo Booster Club appeared to be rather typical at games this year.
The three-day Battle in The Villages event in December drew nearly 70 members, continuing a trend of VHS home venues being packed.
The support remained on the road for several games with more than three hundred members coming to Tavares for a road football game in October, following the Buffalo football team’s two-week COVID-induced break.
“We encouraged our people to get out and support the teams as best they can if they felt safe to do so,” Nellans said. “We said if we can continue to find ways to show any support at all, that’s what it’s all about.”
The VHS athletics department wasn’t surprised by the club’s unwavering support during an extraordinary year, with Pettus expressing gratitude for the club’s efforts.
“I know it gives (the club) a lot of joy, but I’d want them to know that it gives us a lot of joy to have them around all of us, too,” Pettus said. “I hope we can get rolling back in the fall and we can see everyone again, and they can continue to travel and support our teams like they do.”
Send an email to club president Gary Nellans at gmnell@yahoo.com for additional information on the Buffalo Booster Club.
