The Lakeland High School Student Council is preparing to compete in the annual Battle for the Paddle spirit competition against Sandpoint High School.
In the past few years, LHS has swept SHS with the fundraising portion of the spirit competition, which has always been Lakeland’s advantage.
This year, the student council is finding fundraising challenging, which is causing a wave of concern to sweep through the school.
School spirit has declined rapidly throughout the past three years at LHS, and we are seeing the effects now during the 2025 BFTP season.
“I feel like our school spirit in general has slowly gone down, so not as many people want to participate, so it makes it hard to raise money and get excited,” ASB President Micah Bretveld said.
LHS student participation is now more crucial than ever. Taking part in fundraising and all spirit competitions is not just a priority, but a key to our success.
“The best way for students to make a difference and raise money is to sell raffle tickets. All raffle ticket prizes were donated, making it the lowest-cost fundraiser,” the student council advisor Allison Knoll said.
Bingo Night is also one of the biggest fundraisers because it brings in the whole community.
Our fundraising efforts not only contribute to our win over the paddle, but also make a significant difference in our community.
The Lion’s Club Backpack program receives a majority of the funds raised by LHS students.
A portion of the money raised goes to the Lakeland Strong Fund, which supports various school initiatives. Additionally, the Lion’s Club Backpack program, which provides meals for students in need, receives a majority of the funds raised by LHS students.
After five years of winning, students cannot become overconfident, thinking there’s no doubt they’ll get a sixth win.
“All of those wins in the past came with a lot of hard work,” Knoll said.
