THE MOUNT VERNON HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' BASKETBALL TEAM HAS WON eight New York State Public High School Athletic Association titles and raised 25 Section I banners in the past 41 years. But if a large fundraising campaign doesn't come through, the team--and many other squads in the Mount Vernon City School District--may never get the chance to vie for additional trophies.

After voters defeated two proposed school budgets this spring, the athletic program was cut to meet the mandated austerity budget--a scenario that has not been rare this year. What was extraordinary, though, was the community's response. Told they would need to raise $950,000, including $300,000 of it by Aug. 10 to save fall sports, alumni, coaches, parents and even the city's mayor stepped up to the plate, and met the initial goal.

Plan A was an initiative to find 5,000 people willing to donate $100 each. Two Mount Vernon alums were asked to chair the drive: Lisa Copeland, a three-sport athlete for the Knights, and Rasul Salahuddin, who played basketball at Long Beach State University and enjoyed a lengthy professional career overseas.

Copeland estimates hundreds of people gave $100 donations to help the district meet the fall sports deadline. "That's a significant chunk of money," she says. "The key is letting people know that even though it may not seem like a lot, if 50 people give $100 each, it really adds up."

Other fundraisers that could be implemented quickly were put in place, including a dinner-dance, banquet, concert, and a boot drive, which raised $19,000 in just one day. Various community organizations also helped out, as the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon contributed $2,500 and the Hispanic Women Leaders gave $1,000.

The school district also reached out to some of the city's well-known former residents, including actor Denzel Washington and NBA player Ben Gordon. Washington made a $100,000 donation, and Gordon contributed $15,000, plus half the proceeds from his celebrity bowling event.

Throughout the campaign, Copeland says a conscious effort was made to keep Mount Vernon athletes in the forefront of people's minds. "Sometimes if you don't help out right away, it slips your mind, so we're keeping it on the front pages," she says. "Every time someone gives a check, we try to get the word out as soon as possible, and at the same time let people know where they can send money."