Fundraiser draws big crowd at Lazy Bear Ranch

The annual Lazy Bear Ranch fundraiser, benefitting the Weiser football and girls basketball programs, was held Aug. 20, drawing in a large crowd from the Weiser community.
 Guests enjoyed a delicious meal followed by music and dancing, with music by the Jeff Palmer band.
 The cost was $40 for singles and $70 for couples, with proceeds going to the football and girls basketball programs.
 Head football coach Tom Harrison addressed the crowd, praising the enormous involvement of everyone connected to Weiser sports programs.
 “It makes me very humble to see the support that we have in our community,” he said. “A couple years ago we were looking to find an event and we came up with this. The fundraiser is great; we need the money, and it takes an enormous amount of money to run a football program, and we are doing the best we can, and your support is greatly appreciated, but we also needed something where we could draw the community in. “There are some outstanding people here and it’s just a good time to get out and see people shining and it’s really nice, and it makes me feel good to be a part of it.”
 Harrison said that most high school athletes must pay hundreds of dollars to participate.
 “One thing that is really good about Weiser football, our kids don’t have to pay a dime to play football,” he said. “In most high school football programs, in order for a kid to play football, he has to cough up $350 to $400, but not in Weiser.”
 One guest commented that it costs $1,200 to play football for at least one Treasure Valley high school in the Boise area.
 Harrison, who is in his 40th year as a head football coach, specifically thanked his staff, school officials, parents and the many volunteers that work to support Weiser football.
 “I’ve been on six football programs and this is by far the best staff I’ve ever been around,” he said. “They are excellent guys and their role is tremendous.
 “Football is the greatest team sport in the world. It’s not easy to get all of these kids doing something, and if you have one little breakdown, it’s a disaster, so it’s really awesome when it all comes together. So much goes into it, right down to the mothers, the mothers’ club, the band, school administrators, assistant coaches, youth programs, it’s a major, major effort.”
 Harrison gave special recognition to Weiser School Board member Marg Chipman who ranks as one of Weiser’s most active community member.
 “The thing about Marg, you’ll see her at a band concert, at volleyball games, and soccer, she goes to many events because she truly cares about our community,” he said. “She goes the extra mile. We have excellent administration at our school, so we have lots to be proud of, and Marg has been doing it for 29 years. That’s a long time, so bless your heart, Marg.”
 Former Chicago Bear and 1985 Super Bowl Champion, Tim Wrightman, runs Lazy Bear Ranch, which hosts world-class pheasant hunting and weddings.
 He started the fundraiser two years ago with the intention of making it an annual event.
 Wrightman said he wanted to give back after Harrison assisted him with his local annual Champion Mindset football camp.
 “The fundraiser was a lot of fun and there was big participation from the County,” he told the Weiser Signal American in a previous interview. “It was the result of the help I got from Tom. I started a foundation about three years ago doing charity football camps for economically disadvantage kids in the Treasure Valley. Coach Harrison brought his staff and they did the drills. Tom was so willing to give his time, and all of the coaches came out, I decided I wanted to do something for him.”
 The Weiser varsity football team beat Buhl 35-6 in its Sept. 27 opener. The Wolverines are home this week against Emmett.