EDWARDSBURG — Next weekend supporters of Edwardsburg Public Schools can give back by driving expensive motor vehicles such as a Ford F-150s and a Mustang.

This is part of the annual Drive 4 UR School fundraiser from 8 a.m to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Edwardsburg High School student parking lot, which is hosted by Campbell Ford and Ford Motor Company.

At the fundraiser, the Edwardsburg Public Schools Foundation will earn $20 for every valid test drive for up to 300 drivers from different households. That means the foundation can earn a total of $6,000 over a seven-hour period. 

“We have met the $6,000 goal the last three times — we’ve gotten 300 drivers,” said Birdella Holdread, president of the school board. “To be a driver, you have to be 18 years of age or older, you have to be licensed and insured and you can only have one driver per household address. Those are the stipulations.”

Test drivers will go from the Edwardsburg High School student parking lot, through the industrial park and then back to the high school. They will have the option to pick between roughly 12 Ford Motor Vehicles. Holdread said that in years past, vehicle options have ranged from Mustangs to F-150s to SUVs. Per fundraiser rules, drivers are allowed to test multiple vehicles, but only the first one will earn the foundation $20.

Holdread said she has one family of five that plans to come this year and drive all the vehicles, just like they did last year. They simply finish driving one vehicle and wait their turn for the next one.

“They make it a family event, and they have a blast,” she said. “If everyone is happy, we’re happy.”

All of the vehicles will be on display at the Edwardsburg High School home football game against Paw Paw the night before the Drive 4 UR School fundraiser. This gives community members a chance to check out the vehicles and decide which one they would like to drive the following morning.

Each driver is required to fill out paperwork before and after they test drive a vehicle. The paperwork they fill out before includes providing basic personal information, such as their name and email address. Afterward, drivers will be prompted to answer questions, such as what vehicle did they drive and if they would like more information on it.

“They’re just trying to see if they’ve made a new impression on the market,” Holdread said. “… it’s kind of like a test round for them.”

She said that this is a good opportunity for the Edwardsburg community to show their support since it does not cost them financially to participate in this fundraiser. All the community has to give is a little bit of their time.

The money raised at the event will go toward the foundation’s senior scholarships and teacher grants. The scholarships are $1,000 awards that seniors can put towards post-secondary education. The grants provide teachers with opportunities to fund classroom activities and programs that the school does not pay for.

“When you’re supporting the foundation, you’re supporting the students and our teachers at Edwardsburg Public Schools,” Holdread said. “It’s just another way of saying, ‘yes we support you and yes, we’re willing to help you out.’ That’s what the foundation is all about.”