After three weeks of intense voting, our 2019 Fall Great American Giveback winners have been decided. We went from 192 teams in round one, to 48 teams in round two, down to the final 12 in the finals. These 12 finalists all had great causes, and all would have been worthy winners. Unfortunately, only one in each bracket could bring home the prize: custom cause jerseys for their event!
“Our team worked diligently to verify the accuracy of all votes cast. In total we had over 20,000 votes in the finals after eliminating duplicate votes and votes cast after 2:00am EST on Thursday when the contest ended. Voters had to follow our accounts for their vote to count as well. The process took a good deal of time, but we were pleased to know in the end that we did the work necessary to ensure we had the correct winners for today’s unveiling. We saw everything in this contest from schools across the country forming alliances, getting their neighboring schools to vote for them, and using tools like videos, flyers, and Instagram stories to spread the word. Each school had their own plan how to get votes, and it was very impressive to see all twelve communities come together. We are very excited to announce our three winning teams who were able to win their brackets with the most votes in the final round.” – Addix Social Media Team
Without further ado, let’s meet our winners!
White Bracket – Winslow
Our champion of the White Bracket for the 2019 Fall Great American Giveback is Winslow High School out of Arizona! The Bulldogs fought through a tough white bracket to win. Aiea (HI) and West Muskingum (OH) put up great totals, but Winslow was able to edge out both teams. Aiea, West Muskingum, and Hoquiam all had great causes and they certainly put up a good fight. Winslow utilized a balanced approach to get votes across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This is what helped push Winslow over top! They got a great push from their community, especially once Tuesday night hit. Coach Guzman and the Bulldogs were our very first school nominated this year, so their win in the 2019 AGAGB was a long time in the works.
Their cause is certainly a great one as well. Read about it below. Their game will be held October 25th.
Eme’s Army is a team created by the family of Emersen Leonard to bring awareness to Down syndrome and to raise funds to contribute to the non-profit organization, Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona. SDSA supports families throughout Arizona from the beginning. They provide support through monthly family activities, new parent packets, and one-on-one mentoring. Winslow Football has been a huge support to Eme’s Army! Eme’s big brother is a member of the team and her dad is the Athletic Trainer and part of the coaching staff. The team has dedicated a game each season for the last several years to bringing awareness to Down syndrome and making the community of Winslow more inclusive and educated!
Blue Bracket – Twin Valley
The blue bracket came down to two teams in the end. With less than a day to go, Twin Valley trailed Saginaw Heritage by a mere 70 votes. They made that up and then some as Twin Valley emerged victorious out of the blue bracket. The Raiders had a strong Instagram presence and won their Twitter poll which helped push them to the top. Saginaw Heritage and Twin Valley each had amazing cause events planned out as they battled it out over the final days.
This was our first year with a non-football bracket, so we had teams from soccer, volleyball, cross country, cheer, and field hockey competing! Their game will be held September 25th.
From Coach: “We run a yearly game to highlight the fight against cancer. We have partnered with MiniThon club from our school and we get great participation from the community. We have raffles, games for kids, and collect money with a dance party after the game. One of the boys on the team has a father with pancreatic cancer and we are going to honor him with our game this year. It is a great event that we look forward to expanding every year!”
Red Bracket – Stoney Creek
Undoubtedly our craziest bracket, all three teams in the top three held the top spot at some point within the last 24 hours of the voting. First it was Daniel Boone Area Football Breast Cancer Awareness Night (PA), then the Canyon Springs Guide Right Game (CA) briefly took the lead, but in the end it was Stoney Creek’s Partner for a Purpose game that came out on top.
The Cougars had been exceptionally organized all contest long, putting out promo videos daily to get the word out. While they had a slow start, Stoney Creek made a big jump in the closing 36 hours to win an extremely competitive red bracket. Their game will be held September 13th.
“Our game is all about bringing awareness to the community about local charitable causes, but also instilling in our elite young men the importance of giving back and inclusion. That is why the football team at Stoney Creek High School has decided to select Dutton Farm as its charity and “Partner for a Purpose” for its 2019 Cause Game! Coach Nick Merlo and the entire coaching/support staff have done an amazing job of instilling in our young men a sense of community, inclusion and acceptance. All our boys have been taught to find value in each individual and their unique talents. This all aligns beautifully with the mission at Dutton Farm of “Empowering adults with disabilities to live a life of purpose, dignity and inclusion.”
With the partnership they have created, Stoney Creek High School Football will gain the following:
• Opportunities for hands-on volunteering at Dutton Farm
• Dutton Farm presenting to the team on disability inclusion
• Dutton Farm attendance at SCHS home football games as dedicated cheering section
• Dutton Farm team members to volunteer for helping at home games
This is not going to be just one game for a cause, but a partnership for a life between these two organizations.”
Check Out The Jerseys Below – Note These May Not Be The Final Jerseys, Schools May Change Their Jerseys At Their Request
