The Reunion held on May 22, 2010 at Holly High School was a huge success.  We had over 100 people in attendance, and we raised $10,000 comprised of $5,000 from a match gift announced that evening which prompted one donor to contribute $2,000 and the remaining $3,000 from numerous individuals.

Thanks to everyone for their generous donations and support of the Coach Raffin Scholarship Fund.  Go to the Reunion Tab of this site to see pictures from the Reunion.

These gifts bring us closer to our goal of $50,000.  You can help by:

• Encouraging your friends and teammates to contribute.  Go to www.cfgf.org or    call Sandra Murphy at (810) 767-3653.
• Contacting us with any other fundraising ideas or opportunities.

We will keep you updated on our progress toward our goal.

The Friends of Coach Raffin offer our condolences to the Raffin family upon the passing of Coach Raffin. Memorial donations to The Coach Raffin Scholarship Fund may be made by clicking on the “Donate” button located above.

It is an honor to have a scholarship in my name proposed by the former track and field and cross country athletes of Holly, where I enjoyed over 38 years of teaching and coaching.  I am very humbled by the efforts being undertaken for this scholarship fund.

Since my retirement from teaching at Holly High School, I have been teaching for 18 years at the community college – Oakland Community College and Mott Community College – in the English departments, mainly teaching English 101.  My wife, Jeanne, and I spend two months of the year, February and March, in St. Augustine, Florida, right on the Atlantic Ocean.

I stay close to cross country and track and field.  I am at most of the big meets either as a fan or an official.  The past two years i have been to most of Holly High School’s dual meets, where there are still many fledgling and accomplished athletes.  I attend the NCAA Indoor Track and Field championship yearly with a group of twenty or more, mostly former high school coaches of Michigan.  This past March we were at College Station, Texas, the home of Texas A&M.  Last summer I attended the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, with fifty other track nuts of Michigan.  Included in that group was our former manager, Mark Corless, who is now an athletic director at a school in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area.  I have attended every Olympic  Trial since 1988.  Last fall I was at the NCAA cross country championship in Indiana.

Yes, I still love cross country and track, and am grateful for all the memories many of the former athletes blessed me with.  How was I so lucky to have found cross country and track and Holly, Michigan?

– Coach Duane Raffin, May 2009