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OGDEN -- The men's tennis coach at Weber State University set out on a day-long mission Saturday to sit in every seat at the Dee Events Center.
Coach Jared Burnham decided now that the tennis season is over, it's time to do some fundraising for his team. So he headed to the basketball arena around 9 a.m. and began his quest to sit, and sit, and sit approximately 11,735 times.
That's the number of seats in the Dee Events Center. It was a huge task, but he had a little help from his friends.
"These guys have randomly placed Powerades and waters throughout the Dee Events Center, so they're like little treasures for me to find," Burnham said.
Our season's over and I'm always looking for creative ways to fundraise. This is probably as creative as I've gotten.
–Jared Burnham
He needed all that hydration too, because Burnham estimated it would take up to 10 hours of sitting to make it through all those seats.
"I've got two knee braces on. That will help me out," he said. "I've got biker shorts on, gloves on, a headband. This will help out with the sweat quite a bit."
Burnham did all the math and calculated he had to touch about 20 seats a minute. "Yeah, there's a few different ways. I'll probably mix it up so I don't tire out. My arms and shoulders will be tired by the end of the day," he said.
So what inspired Coach Burnham to take on this unusual challenge? His players, of course. The Wildcats just wrapped up the 2010 season with a 6-2 Big Sky Conference record.
Recently while chatting with friends, the idea for the great sit in was born. "Every team needs money. We're doing OK, it was just one of those chances. Our season's over and I'm always looking for creative ways to fundraise," Burnham said. "This is probably as creative as I've gotten."
Burnham says there is no world record attempt going on here, it's just about doing something to help out the program.
He solicited donations all during the season and estimates he will have helped bring in anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000.
When all was said and done, it took 11 hours and 40 minutes to complete the task. That, and some very sore legs.
The coach says additional donations are welcome. They can be sent to the Weber State Athletic Department at:
2701 University Circle
Ogden, UT
84408
E-mail: kmccord@ksl.com
