The Board of Directors of the Merrimack Cardinals would like to welcome you to the 2010 season of the Cardinal Football/Spirit Program. This year marks the 37th anniversary of the Cardinals Program.

The Cardinals' proud tradition dates back to 1973. Both the cheerleading and football teams have won many honors and championships at the state, regional, and national levels.

While winning is one of the goals of the Program, it is not the only or the most important goal. The Cardinals Program encourages academic excellence and endeavors to develop self-discipline, personal fitness, teamwork, concentration, leadership, and good sportsmanship. Each year, many Cardinals receive program-wide and league-wide recognition of academic achievement.

The money necessary to run the Merrimack Cardinals Program is derived from registration fees (31%), Town funding (16%), and fundraising efforts (53%) by program volunteers. We make every effort to keep the amount of fundraising required of the participants to a minimum and place that responsibility with the adults in the organization. Last year, the organization raised $30,000 through various events and we were able to replace much of our older pads and equipment for our football participants, as well as send our spirit squads to two "fun" competitions.

Our 2010 fundraising goal is 40,000. We hope to raise this money through corporate sponsorships ($5,000), "Kickoff" BBQ ($2,500), 50/50 raffles on game days ($1,500), our goods table ($5,000), our concession stand ($20,000), and several program wide fundraisers throughout the year. .

Because the Cardinals Program relies on the income from sales of Cardinals apparel (also available for purchase online!) and the concession stand to keep its registration costs down, the Program prohibits the solicitation and sales of similar products and materials by Cardinals participants and their parents/caregivers. The cooperation and assistance of all parents or caregivers in this effort is greatly appreciated and necessary to adequately fund this Program.

We hope that the information contained in this parent handbook is a helpful guide. However, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact a Board member (See About Us - > Board).

Together with your support and participation, we hope that the 2010 season is the best season ever for the players, cheerleaders, parents, friends, and the Cardinals Program as a whole. We look forward to working with you to create a successful and enjoyable 2010 season!