Sponsors & Donors

The Importance of Sponsors & Donors in High School Esports

Esports is more than just gaming—it’s an opportunity for students to develop teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and leadership skills in a competitive environment. However, building a successful high school esports program requires more than just student participation. Sponsors and donors play a crucial role in providing the resources needed to ensure our program thrives.

Unlike traditional sports, esports requires specialized equipment, including high-performance gaming PCs, consoles, software, and reliable internet infrastructure. Additionally, expenses such as tournament fees, team jerseys, and travel costs can add up quickly. Without financial support, many students would not have access to the technology and competitive opportunities needed to excel in esports.

By investing in high school esports, sponsors and donors help create an inclusive space where students can pursue their passion for gaming while also preparing for future careers in technology, STEM fields, and beyond. Your support allows us to level the playing field, ensuring that every student—regardless of financial background—can participate and compete at the highest level.

If you or your business would like to support the Eagles Esports program, we welcome the opportunity to discuss sponsorship opportunities or donations. Together, we can empower the next generation of esports athletes and innovators.  

If Interested please reach out to East Rockingham High School to talk to someone about wanting to help out their Esports program.  They will get you in touch with someone in the Esports Program.

Sponsors & Donors

$5,000 Matching Grant from the Joe and Debbie Showker foundation

Support Eagles Esports – $5,000 Matching Grant Opportunity!

The Joe and Debbie Showker Foundation has generously provided a $5,000 matching grant to the Eagles Esports team to help establish and grow our program. Now, we are looking for local donors to step up and match this contribution, allowing us to raise a total of $10,000 to support our players.

Your donation will directly impact our program by helping us purchase essential gaming equipment, upgrade technology, and provide students with the resources they need to compete at a high level for years to come.

How to Contribute

You can take part in this exciting opportunity by making a donation through the Rockingham Educational Foundation, Inc. (REFI):
📍 Mail a check to:
Rockingham Educational Foundation, Inc.
100 Mt. Clinton Pike
Harrisonburg, VA 22827

📌 Make checks payable to: REFI, with "ERHS Esports" in the memo line.

📞 For more information, contact REFI at: (540) 564-3218

Every dollar you contribute will be doubled thanks to this matching grant! Help us equip our esports athletes with the tools they need to succeed—GAME ON! 🎮🦅

Eagles Esports Receives another $10,000 Donation from the Joe and Debbie Showker Foundation!

We are thrilled to announce that the Joe and Debbie Showker Foundation has generously donated an additional $10,000 to the Eagles Esports Program! This incredible contribution has allowed us to replace all 12 of our outdated PCs, giving our players the technology they need to compete at a higher level.

Previously, our esports lab relied on six 11-year-old PCs and six 9-year-old PCs—hardware that struggled to run even a single game. The long wait times just to boot up and load Rocket League discouraged many students from participating. Thanks to this donation, we now have twelve brand-new gaming PCs, which means our VHSL Rocket League teams can compete without performance issues.

These upgraded PCs also open the door for our program to support additional esports titles, including Madden, NCAA Football, Street Fighter 6, Overwatch 2, and Marvel Rivals. While these games are not part of VHSL competition, they will help us attract more students to regional tournaments, ultimately growing our pool of future VHSL players for Rocket League,Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Mario Kart 8.

We cannot thank Joe and Debbie Showker enough for their continued support of our program and for investing in the future of esports at East Rockingham High School!

Decals for our gaming stations!

AWG - AutoWraps & Graphics in Elkton, VA provided Eagles Esports with Decals to place on all the gaming desk in the Esports Lab!   Decals that give the next level of visuals when people walk into the lab.   A big thank you to Bart and his team for providing great decals!!

A Huge Thank You to Riot Games and Our Supporters!

We are thrilled to share that our recent DonorsChoose.org campaign to secure 6 gaming controllers was a success! Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Riot Games Social Impact Fund and other amazing donors, we were able to secure six brand-new Microsoft Xbox gaming controllers for our esports program.

These controllers will be put to great use on our new gaming PCs, helping our students engage in competitive gaming, teamwork, and skill development.

We want to extend a huge shoutout to Riot Games for their outstanding support, as well as to every donor who contributes to programs like ours. Your generosity helps create opportunities for students to grow, learn, and thrive.

Thank you for making a difference! 🎮✨