GALION — In just a few short years, the Galion Gridiron Club has introduced itself to the community and worked to put scholarship money in the hands of college bound Galion athletes.

Their plans for the future are much more elaborate, with the focus still placed on the student athletes and coaches of Galion City Schools.

The Gridiron Club started three years ago primarily as a support organization for the GHS Football program. They have privately funded improvements to the weight room at the football stadium as well as handling maintenance of the football field itself.

“What started out with just plans for the football program, has evolved into helping all of the athletic programs where and when we can,” said board member Chad Early.

The first part of that support comes from the Gridiron Club’s annual Spaghetti Dinner. On April 6, the organization will hold it’s 3rd annual dinner at the St. Joe’s Activity Center located at 115 North Liberty Street.

“We didn’t see the growth we had hoped for last year unfortunately for this event, so we have looked into different ideas to increase the response from the public to be a better support for our athletes through this fundraiser,” Early said.

For the first time at this years event, each sport at both Galion High School and Middle School has been invited to provide a basket of goods to be offered at a silent auction, with 100 percent of the proceeds of that sale going back to the individual sport.

This silent auction opportunity for each sports group is much like the Gridiron Clubs 1st annual Pie Auction held last November at GHS. The funds raised that day totalled a whopping $7,357.50 which far exceeded any expectations the club had. As a result, the Gridiron Club donated $2,135 to Krusaders for Kaden, which helps the son of Galion School administrator Jennifer Allerding who is currently battling cancer. The remainder of the funds was given back to the sports groups who contributed pies that day.

The dinner portion of the evening is completely by donation and carryout is available. Doors open at 5 pm, with a DJ beginning at 5:30 pm. Guests are permitted to BYOB also.

There will be a 50/50 raffle along with many prize raffles including a 50” LED 4K Ultra HD TV, Amazon Echo Dot, a deer trail cam, and Beats wireless earphones. There is also a raffle for two guns that evening.

The Galion Gridiron Club is not only looking forward to their Spaghetti Dinner, but looking to the future for GHS student athletes as well. Long term plans for the group is the idea of funding a Field House to centrally locate sports activities for Galion City Schools. The hope to have a new weight facility, indoor soccer, golf simulator, basketball courts, and a 40 yard football field is all a part of the plan.

“We are looking at comparable facilities that were recently built at other schools close to the area like Mount Vernon and Ashland City Schools,” Early said. “We realize that we are looking way down the road with these plans, but with the right sponsor(s), a Galion Field House is not far off.”

“We want to do our part to strengthen the presence Galion City Schools in our area,” said member Eric Lester. “The schools themselves are busy with the academics involved in that. The Gridiron Club wants to help on the athletic side.”

Membership to the Galion Gridiron Club has various options from single to family and even senior options at varying prices. Memberships include pre-game tailgating and end-zone seating for all 5 home games during the GHS Football season. Business sponsorships are also available. For more information on the Galion Gridiron Club including memberships and the upcoming Annual Spaghetti Dinner please email [email protected].