The Oskaloosa Indians digital sign on A Ave. West has been dark for some time, and it will remain dark for a while longer.

Oskaloosa High School (OHS) students are about a third of the way to the $30,000 goal to get the sign functional, according to student council member Leah Van Maanen. The funds are needed to replace the obsolete inner workings of the sign. So far $11,185.70 has been raised, said business education teacher Kim Gile, who is also student council advisor.

“We’ve sent letters out to local businesses to see if they would like to contribute to our fund,” said Van Maanen. “It kind of effects the whole community.” The timeline to get the sign in working order is “as fast as possible,” she added. “It’s been a little while since we’ve done fundraising [for it].”

Van Maanen said bake sales, yard signs and the blind volleyball game in February are just a few of the ways the student council raises funds for the sign. Gile mentioned a fun new activity for the high school students to participate in.

“We’re going to do Mr. and Mrs. Cupid. We have couples — they don’t have to be a couple, but just whoever — and you can take around an ice cream bucket, and you can decorate it however and you just ask for donations,” she said. “It’s just a way to help raise money, and they can ask people in the community to help contribute and it’s all going to go toward the sign.”

Gile wanted to be sure to thank the community for helping and participating.

“They help us a lot in a lot of things,” she said. “They support us wholeheartedly when we do crazy stuff at games.”

Story provided by the Oskaloosa Herald