COLLEYVILLE, Texas — There’s a lot that goes into school spirit.
Every week, the cheer team at Colleyville Heritage High School in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD practices for hours. Beyond long practices, they cheer on the football team at every game and fundraise.
This year, however, high school’s cheer and football teams aren’t raising money for themselves.
They've begun selling T-shirts to raise funds for their beloved classmate, senior Zakai Clay.
Varsity Cheer Captain Averie Kirby told WFAA the idea came about after a parent realized there was a gap that they needed to fill as a community.
Zakai has cerebral palsy and uses a mobile wheelchair to get around, but you’ll find him cheering for the football team at every home game.
“He’s a big light, we all love him,” Kirby told WFAA.
His encouragement is missed during away games, when Zakai is unable to travel due to transportation issues, Kirby said.
Zakai’s mother, Jaime Foster, physically lifts him out of his wheelchair and carries him into their vehicle. As the 17-year-old has grown up, it has become increasingly challenging.
“It limits him socially,” Foster said. “I knew the day would come that I would really need it, because I knew he would grow and start to get heavy.”
Zakai was unable to accept a job with the Texas Workforce Commission due to transportation issues, Foster said. He has big dreams of working in I.T. or working for the Dallas Cowboys Organization.
Foster began a GoFundMe to purchase the wheelchair-accessible van Zakai has needed for years. When Ashley Golden, a fellow CHHS parent and member of the booster club caught wind of the fundraiser, she knew there was something the school community could do to help.
“Right away, I thought ‘I want to jump in on this, and it just snowballed,” Golden said.
Golden connected with cheer coach Malloree Gray.
“Zak is such a pivotal part of our school,” Gray said. “I said 100%, let’s go for it.”
Her cheer team agreed to join forces with the football team and began selling T-shirts and other apparel in support of Zakai. The shirts read “I roll with Zakai,” and both teams are working on selling 500 items in order to help Foster raise more money for the van.
“It is going to change our lives,” Foster said. “I’m just overwhelmed.”
Zakai was shocked when he learned his entire school community is stepping in to help him out.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Zakai said. “It would be a dream come true.”
The T-shirt fundraiser ends Oct. 10. The goal is for the van to be purchased in the next two-three weeks. Zakai hopes his school’s football team makes it to playoffs so that he can attend away games in his new van.
“I hope they know without a shadow of a doubt that they have people that love them and support them,” Gray said.