Manta Ray Parents and Families, 

 I’m excited to announce our 2nd Annual NFL Pick'em Fundraiser! Last year, our first-ever NFL Pick'em event was a tremendous success, raising enough money to fully fund our six-week prep clinics before the start of the summer season. We heard from many of you how much you and our swimmers loved these clinics, which gave our Manta Rays a head start in the water, preparing them to compete with confidence before the first meet. We are thrilled to bring back our NFL Pick'em Fundraiser, and we have some fantastic updates to make this event even better than last year! This season, we've opted for a more app-friendly option, allowing you to easily make your weekly picks from your phone, laptop, or PC. And the best part? This fundraiser is open to everyone – your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers can all join in on the fun! 

**Here's How It Works:** 

**Entry Fee:** Just $25 to participate, and a portion of each entry fee goes directly to supporting our beloved swim team! - 

**Prizes:** Last year, we paid out over $1,300 to our winners, and this year, we’d love to double that goal! Here’s the prize breakdown: - 

**1st Place:** Takes home 60% of the prize pool! - 

**2nd Place:** Wins 30% of the prize pool. - 

**3rd Place:** Gets 10% of the prize pool. -

**How to Play:** Each week, pick the winners of every NFL game (including Thursdays this year). Earn points for every correct pick and track your score throughout the season on the website or app. 

**Deadline for Picks:** Your final pick for each game must be submitted **1 hour before kickoff**. - 

**Multiple Entries:** You can have as many entries as you want per person and household—the more, the merrier! Each entry will require a separate username and email. This helps us manage the entries and ensure everyone is properly registered. The more entries we have, the bigger the prize pot and the more we can give back to our swimmers. - 

**Entry Fees:** Must be paid by **September 5th**, by the kickoff of the first game of the season. 

**How to Pay:** - Send your $25 entry fee (or the total amount for multiple entries) via Venmo to @HMSTMantaRays - If you are paying for others, please include their usernames and the email addresses they used to sign up in your payment notes so we can mark them as paid. - 

**Don’t have Venmo?** No problem! Reach out to me directly, and we can make other arrangements for payment easily. 

**This Year’s Platform:** We’re using **PRO Pick'em** for this year’s fundraiser. You can make your picks through the website at [propickem.com](https://propickem.com) or download the **PRO Pick'em** app from the App Store for a seamless experience on your mobile device. 

**How to Join:** 

1. Go to [propickem.com](https://propickem.com). 

2. Click on **Leagues** at the top right of the page. 

3. Click on the green **"Sign Up"** button. 

4. When you sign up, you will need to activate your account via the email you enter. If you don’t see the email confirmation, please check your junk mail.

5. Enter HMST as the league name and use the league password RayManta2024 to join. When signing up, please choose a PG-13 username, as we will have some of our swimmers participating and checking their scores each week. 

**Support Our Swim Team:** A portion of each entry fee goes directly to our swim team, helping us prepare for an unforgettable 2025 season with the best equipment and resources. The remaining funds will be distributed as cash prizes to our lucky winners!

**So what are you waiting for?** If you had the time to read this, head over to the site or download the app, get signed up, pay, and get ready for the action. Help us reach our goal of 200 entries! As always, thank you for your support. We all know this program only goes as far as the people involved, and every entry and share helps us make a big impact. Let’s come together, make this fundraiser a huge success, and show what the Manta Rays are capable of! If you have any questions, need clarifications, or if there’s anything I might have missed, please let me know. I’m here to help! Thank you again for being part of the Manta Rays family and for supporting our team! 

Scott Derouaux & HMST Board

614-214-1655

[email protected]