Let’s unravel the curtain and look at the inside of preparing the Athens Drive annual Powderpuff game. Every year from October through November, Athens Drive has a flag football game to raise money for charity. This year the charity of choice was the Wake County SPCA, which helps homeless animals find care and support. 

The Powderpuff game has been a meaningful tradition at Athens Drive for over 30 years. Christopher Remaley, a math teacher at Athens Drive, has helped arrange Powderpuff for the past few years.

“It’s always been about flipping the roles — girls play football, and guys cheer. It’s a fun way to challenge traditions while bringing everyone together,” said Remaley.

This year, there were many challenges with freshmen participation only 27 freshmen signed up, and only nine showed up to play. There’s so much to organize, getting players from every grade, registration, and practices.

“Freshmen are new to the school and might be unsure about joining, but the senior class always has the most players and usually wins,” Remaley said. As expected, the seniors took the victory again this year.

This year’s Powderpuff game had over 170 students from all grades signing up. Emily Lassiter, an Athens Drive math teacher, also supported student council and helped organize the event.

 “We start by putting up banners to encourage students to sign up,” said Lassiter. 

This year, the date had to be changed twice, which gave more students time to join. In the week leading up to the game, the student council arranged practices and handled planning. 

“We had to figure out who would help with what, like teachers at the gates and even my husband, who was one of the referees,” said Lassiter.

As Athens Drive celebrates this year’s success, planning for next year’s game is already on its way. This annual tradition brings the school community together, building spirit and making a difference. Year after year, the Powderpuff game shows how Athens Drive High School combines fun and giving back in a meaningful way.

With registrations, ticket sales, and other donations the event raised $1,950 for the Wake County SPCA. This was the most money the game had ever raised. The decision to support the SPCA began when a student government member who interned there suggested it. 

“Instead of giving to a random charity, we wanted to choose a cause that really matters to our students and community,” Remaley said.