Yelm fundraiser saves C-Team athletics: ‘The community rose and did the right thing’

On the morning of August 8, Jason Ronquillo took to X, formerly known as Twitter, with the following words:

“Every cell in my body has always felt - don’t ask for help, you can do it on your own. But then I preach to kids, when in time of struggle or time of need, never be afraid to ask for it.

“Well, this is one of those times.”

Yelm’s head football coach had been notified: C-teams, developmental squads for future varsity hopefuls, were to be axed this fall at both high school and middle school levels. A local levy requesting roughly $15 million dollars over a two-year period failed among Yelm voters in February. It was reintroduced in April, and failed again.

The victims? C-teams at both Yelm High School and Yelm Middle School, plus the middle school’s football team. The budget shortfall also canceled bus transportation to and from events for all high school athletics, varsity down.

Once a levy fails twice, it cannot reach the ballot for another calendar year, Ronquillo said.

He had to act.

The plan: Ronquillo jump started a fundraising campaign, sharing the webpage link to X and other social platforms. He hosted a Zoom meeting with Yelm community members, appealing to locals for help.

“I figured if I could act and commit my life and lose some sleep and do this for seven days straight, I think we can do it,” Ronquillo told The News Tribune.

Support for Yelm athletics spread like wildfire. Donations poured in statewide.

And on Tuesday morning, Dinsmore Auto Group presented Ronquillo and Yelm Community Schools a check for $20,000 – a generous donation that put the fundraiser “over the top” of its $50,000 goal.

Season saved.

“When Jason did his Zoom meeting with the community, I think people (knew) this was going to happen,” Yelm athletic director Rob Hill said. “(Jason) just said, ‘This is not up for debate. This is what’s going to happen, and we’re going to raise this money.’”

As of Wednesday evening, Ronquillo’s fundraiser had soared to over $64,500. It provides funding for a full school year of C-team athletics at Yelm High School, he said, rescuing sports for more than 150 local children. Proceeds fund facility use, referees, and coaching stipends.

This fall, Yelm rose to join the 4A SPSL, previously the dominant football force of the 3A South Sound Conference. Ronquillo directed the Tornados to the 3A state title in 2022, along with another appearance in the 2023 championship game and runner-up finish.

Wednesday, Ronquillo stood among new competitors at the inaugural 4A SPSL Football Media Day in Tacoma. And given the prestige of one of the state’s toughest leagues, featuring the likes of Graham-Kapowsin, Sumner, and Puyallup, it was clear Yelm’s coach had no intention to arrive incomplete.

“There’s a lot of people, particularly in this room,” Ronquillo said. “They’re welcoming us into the league, and here we are, not having C-squads coming into the league. It’s not only… gosh man, I’m letting them down. But it’s a little bit of an embarrassment.

“We just won a state title two years ago. We were in the state title game last year, and now we’re coming into this league with all of these tough opponents, and we don’t got C-teams to offer?”

Thanks to his fundraiser, that’s no longer an issue. The $64,500 and counting should suffice for C-teams across fall, winter, and spring sports, Ronquillo said. Leftover funds will be saved for future seasons.

What remains unsolved: all Yelm athletic programs are without transportation to and from competitions. For the high school football team, that includes trips to Lincoln (Sep. 13), Spanaway Lake (Sep. 27), and Bethel (Oct. 18).

“I think you’re going to see some creative Facebook pages about transportation and carpools,” Ronquillo said. “Parents are going to get creative.”

A levy requesting additional funding for the 2025-26 school year will be introduced next February, Hill said.

“To see them rally, it’s been good,” Ronquillo said. “In an ugly situation, the community rose and did the right thing.

“Now we just need to make sure we pass it the next time we run it.”