RAC names logo contest winner and outlines summer events

In early April, the Riverhead Athletic Club named Riverhead High School junior Willy Leon as their logo contest winner. The organization will adopt his logo moving forward for all official club merchandising and marketing, including their website, an upcoming online merch store and future events. 

From the beginning, RAC board members knew they wanted to get the community and the kids involved with the new club. 

“The biggest component for us … is not just spreading awareness, but also getting to have the entire community dialed in to our mission,” said RAC president Quinn Alexander. “What better way to kick it off than to offer a logo competition where the kids can be — not just aware of it — but fully vested.” 

The contest was opened to middle- and high school students, and all submissions were then vetted by the elementary kids in the Riverhead School District, according to Ms. Alexander. The given prompt required each submission to consider “what it means to be a Blue Wave,” as well as “to be a celebration of all athletics at Riverhead”; beyond those base qualifications, the athletic club “pretty much gave the kids full creative license to design however they saw fit,” she said.

“The logo that was selected was pretty much overwhelmingly [chosen],” she added. “[Willy Leon’s] got a lot of variety in it … He captures a literal blue wave, but also the excitement.” 

The logo contest was an important first step toward the official branding of the freshly minted athletic club. 

“It’s honestly related to the launch of everything,” said Ms. Alexander. “Our athletic club is so, so brand new, and there have been a tremendous amount of ideas since the fall about what our mission statement is and our board, and what we want it to look like, and what kind of services the social media and websites might provide for the community.”

One project in particular that relied on the creation of a proper logo is the online merchandise store that RAC members hope to open in partnership with Medford-based Natural Design Co. The store, once up and running, will allow the community to support the club and the kids in an efficient and convenient manner, said Ms. Alexander. 

The logo was also essential to get the ball rolling on the RAC’s first event, a Family Night Mini Gold fundraiser scheduled for Friday, May 9, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Sandy Falls Mini Golf, the club’s first official sponsor. It will include food, raffles and prizes, and the cost is $20 per adult, and $10 per child under 10. 

“It’s a win across the board. It’s a win for [owner Brian Stark] and for his facility. It’s a win for us because it provides a family fun opportunity for the community to come out, once again, and build some awareness about what our athletic club stands for,” said Ms. Alexander.

She added that the club is working on a variety of future events beyond the May 8 fundraiser. On June 21, the RAC plans to hold a “fun run” for community kids on school district property, though it won’t just feature running. Members of Riverhead coaching staff will set up stations that allow kids “to try out different sports offered at Riverhead,” according to Ms. Alexander. 

As yet unscheduled events the club hopes to host include an alumni night, for the older kids to meet with and inspire the younger kids, and an equipment drive, where former players could donate gently used sports equipment for those just testing out what sports they might like. 

“Some of those sports are really expensive … If the kids don’t have the opportunity to be exposed to what’s out there, then it becomes very difficult for coaches to be able to build successful programs that can endure for long periods of time. And that’s what we’re looking for: long-term success,” said Ms. Alexander. “We want to celebrate the kids at all levels. That’s super important to us.”