By Wendi Reardon Price

Leader Special Writer

Clarkston Athletics continues to show support for the Oxford community and finished June sharing an update about their #BlueandGoldUnited fundraiser which was held in December 2021.

They raised over $15,000 with over 135 yard signs sold. They also placed over 500 orders from the shirt sale, which included orders from ten different state with over 1,000 pieces ordered.

Early in 2022, Clarkston Athletics used some of the money for a canine deputy for Oxford Community Schools, whose name is Deputy Oxford.

Now they are able to do more for the neighboring community and will contribute in the following ways: through Mission Oakland/Oakland County Sheriff’s Office another canine deputy, Deputy Wildcat; OCSO First Responders Fund; Hana St. Juliana’s Memorial Garden (Hana Blooms); Madisyn Baldwin’s Memorial Garden; Gift of Life Michigan in memory of Justin Shilling; Tate Myre Memorial Scholarship; Oxford Wildcat stuffed animal outreach project by Oxford High School student Ella K. for Uvalde; and art therapy support and supplies for Oxford High School students through WillowsEdge in Oxford.

“Thank you so much, C-Town and beyond,” the Clarkston Athletics department shared on their social media platforms. “We were able to make some meaningful contributions to our friends in Oxford. It’s amazing what can happen when people come together.”

Back in January, Clarkston Athletics Director Jeff Kosin shared it was all Clarkston Athletics Assistant Krystal Bergman’s drive beginning with creating the logo to show support for the neighboring community after the November 30 shooting at OHS.

“She created this logo on the T-shirts and the yard signs. As soon as she did, people were posting it on their Facebook, putting it on Twitter, and calling us to ask where did it come from. She worked with Custom Threads & Sports and Mark McCord. It fell into place. It was all her. She asked if she could do something.”

Bergman created the logo and put it as the cover photo on Facebook to show support for the Oxford community – and it received a huge response.

She shared people said they would love to see the logo on a shirt.

“I thought ‘oh my gosh, what a great idea.’ The whole point of the shirts was to raise money for Oxford,” she said.

Clarkston Athletics began with a canine deputy because Clarkston High School has their own canine deputy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Deputy Indy who visited the department one day.

“He made me feel so much better. He sat on my lap as I did some work. He was just so comforting and calming,” said Bergman. “I went home that night and I thought wouldn’t it be great if we could do this for the community of Oxford.”