Outside of the actual coaching staff itself, it would be hard to find someone more passionate about the Jacksonville High School football program than Vince Churchill. How many people do you know who would leave the ideal weather of California to return home and coach freshman at his former high school? Personally, I don’t know too many, but I do know Vince Churchill. When the opportunity came in 2006 to come home and be a part of the Crimson program, Churchill loaded up his fuel-efficient Geo Metro and took off for the prairies of the midwest. Now, having refocused his attention on his writing talents, the former Crimson coach hopes to show his support in a different way.
“I love all those guys,” Churchill said referring to the JHS staff, “They gave me a great opportunity to be around the game I love, and for that I feel like I owe them a lot. I’d do anything for the program.”
So while Churchill has been dividing his time between authoring his newest horror/thriller novel and taking care of his infant granddaughter, he’s decided to combine his passions for writing and football, with the goal of raising money for the football program at Jacksonville High School. How it works: monetary donations, depending on the amount, will get you featured as either a minor character, major character, or lead character in Churchill’s upcoming novel SIETE.
A donation of $100 will earn you the role of a minor character. $500 donations will land you a major role. And any donations of $1,000 or more will get you written in as a lead character. As for the minor characters, five of the ten available spots are still open. Only one of the eight major character spots has been occupied, leaving seven more available. And both of the two lead character roles remain untaken.
“It was something that I had wanted to do, knowing that the new book would have a bunch of characters,” said Churchill, “so I talked to my publisher about the idea, and they supported it. This is my way of giving back to the program that afforded me so many opportunities.”
Like much of Churchill’s previous work, SIETE will explore the darker side of mankind’s nature, and is written mostly for an adult audience. The book will be written in the vein of Stephen King’s novel The Stand, in which the story follows seven people through an apocalyptic world where they are forced to compete in contests for survival.
“It may sound selfish, but I prefer to write stuff that I enjoy reading.” Churchill said, “I hope to someday write a children’s book, but for now I’m sticking to the genre that I know best.”
Churchill says that he will beginning writing the novel when all of the donation spots are filled or when the 2014 football season is over, whichever comes first. For more information regarding the fundraiser, or some of Churchill’s previous work, you can visit his website at vincechurchill.com or check him out on Facebook. 100% of the donations will go to the JHS football program through the Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation. All donations can be made to the Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation at the offices of School District 117 located on 516 Jordan Street in Jacksonville. Any further questions about the fundraiser can be emailed to Mr. Churchill on his personal website or he can be reached him directly at (217)-416-8544.
Even if football or reading is not of your particular interests, the money goes towards a good cause. Any and all donations are welcomed and very much appreciated.
