When Marie Sanchez took the court for her first match of the co-ed volleyball tournament Dec.9 she felt nervous going against coaches. Her team should’ve been able to win because they were mainly volleyball players.

But they didn’t win.

However, halfway through her first match, she realized that the point of the fundraiser was not about victory or defeat, but to have fun with her fellow rangers.

Ranger students fundraise in unique ways, such as a co-ed volleyball tournament, a kickball tournament and even a 5K. Recently, the band students raised at least $8,500 through a telethon.

From all corners of campus, students and faculty struggle with the same problem – raising money for their programs. Some groups think they have discovered the key part of the fundraising challenge: having fun.

Senior Class President, Kaden Demedeiros said selling products, such as cookie dough, is unsuccessful.

“People don’t like to go door to door and that type of fundraiser. That’s for little kids when you’re cute and stuff,” Demedeiros said. “That’s not for us.”

Junior Katherine Cabán said she enjoys Coffeehouse which raises a couple hundred dollars for theater and their shows.

“You are paying for more of an experience rather than a one-time-use thing,” Cabán said.

Cabán said that not only do students come together to perform on stage, they also munch on donated baked goods sold by the concession stand.

She said she prefers the fundraiser to others.

“Well, because it brings a whole bunch of people together and they all get to do something different,” she said.

Demedeiros said he thinks the co-ed volleyball tournament was another successful fundraiser.

“[You can] create a team with your friends and you can go and compete against your other friends and I just think that’s what attracts people the most,” Demeideros said.

Head volleyball coach, Coach Huston, raised money for Senior Night After Graduation by organizing Co-Ed volleyball tournaments.

“I think you generate more interest when you put boys and girls together and kind of do this gender mixed thing. I honestly think if we made it all girls or girls against boys, no. I think Co ed is a lot more fun.”

She said she too prefers events like these to product catalogs.

“It’s hard to sell things, there’s nothing fun in selling things,” Huston said. “So if we can, I always like to do fundraisers where kids are involved and having fun. So if they’re doing that and they’re raising money at the same time, it’s also a win/win.”