ROCKINGHAM — A North Carolina-based grocery store chain is making sure Raider athletes stay hydrated on the field this spring.
Head Football Coach Bryan Till and several players picked up two pallets of water from the Food Lion store on U.S. 1 Sunday afternoon to be used by all student athletes at Richmond Senior High School.
Susan Freeman, customer service manager of the store, said Till had asked if there was anything Food Lion could do to help, and said the store donated enough water for the first two games.
“In the meantime, I contacted corporate to see what we could do,” Freeman said. “Usually, corporate can donate more than what we can at store level. They, without hesitation, donated two pallets of Food Lion water.”
Those two pallets account for 2,016 bottles — more than enough, according to Till, to get the football team through the rest of the season.
“We have donated a few things here and there from the store in the past,” Freeman said, “however never this much (to the high school).”.
Till said current regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic prohibit the way water is usually distributed to players at games.
“The best thing for them to do is come off the sideline, grab a bottle of water and down it real quick … and then roll on,” Till said.
Till said the athletics department appreciates Food Lion for contributing to the program “when they didn’t have to.”
“Here at Food Lion, we are the towns and cities we serve,” Freeman said. “We hope to inspire by deepening our emotional connection to our local communities. Raider football is an integral part of our community and we are proud to help support them.”
