Maizy Swift, Senior Writer
On Wednesday, March 11, the Manhattan University (MU) women’s club soccer team held a bake sale in order to fundraise for the season. According to socceramerica.com, club soccer serves as the solution for students who simply enjoy the sport and play at the college level.
Following this importance, Ashley Zegler, a junior mechanical engineering major who is the founder and captain of the team, shared where the funds from the bake sale go in order to keep the team playing.
“Funds from the bake sale go directly towards covering operating costs for the team,” Zegler said. “We do not receive any financial support from Manhattan University and rely on fundraisers, donations [financial and equipment] and player dues to continue as an active club.”
Zegler also shared with The Quadrangle how the team has been working to save up money for the season.
“My board has been very active in creating fundraisers for our team,” Zegler said. “Aside from the bake sale, we also held a Double Good popcorn fundraiser, and have an active GoFundMe account that can be accessed through our Instagram account bio.
The need to fundraise for the team stems from a lack of budgeting from the university, causing the girls to have to be dependent on purely just donations.
“Much of the financial burden for starting up and maintaining the club team from zero budget has fallen on players, leaving club dues higher than those of nearby programs,” Zegler said. “We hope that all the support from the Manhattan University community at our fundraisers will help lower future costs, allowing us to lower dues, so players do not have to choose between playing a sport they love and finances.”
Despite the obstacles before them, Zegler felt the bake sale was a success. Students passing through stopped to purchase cookies, brownies and other homemade treats, contributing to the team’s fundraising goal.
“It was a sweet success, we sold out halfway through,” Zegler said. “We are very grateful to everyone in the university community who supported our team, and we hope they all enjoyed their sweet treats!”
Lauren Rosenberg, a senior at MU majoring in exercise science who serves as the treasurer for the team, also shared her thoughts regarding the event, and spoke about how it helped raise money for their upcoming senior game. The team wanted to make this event particularly meaningful, as a way to celebrate the graduating players who helped build the program.
“On March 29, we’re recognizing our seniors for their dedication to the team, and wanted to do something nice for them,” Rosenberg said. “We figured everyone loves a sweet treat and would be a success! We ended up selling out of all the goods we baked.”
Rosenberg also shared that this season the team is looking forward to playing in more games this season, as it is their first official season playing in the New York City / New Jersey division. Being a part of this division marks an important milestone for the team, as it allows them to compete against other universities and further establish their program. More details are to be found through their Instagram account: @manhattanuwclubsoc.