Bison, Inc., recently announced a new donation program to help boost pandemic-stressed sports equipment budgets at Lincoln-area high schools caused by the disruption in sports schedules and event attendance over the past year.

Nick Cusick, founder and CEO of Bison read the March 14 Lincoln Journal-Star article, “The games go on, but pandemic put a big dent in high school athletic budgets” and decided to take action. The article states schools, including Lincoln Public Schools, traditionally depend on ticket and concession sales to buy athletic equipment but these sources of revenue were reduced by about 50% due to restrictions on attendance, plus many booster club fundraisers have been canceled because of safety concerns.

“Bison is excited to offer $1,000 in ‘Bison Bucks’ to 16 local high schools that can be used to purchase Bison basketball, volleyball, soccer, and other sports equipment through their preferred Nebraska-based sporting goods dealer,” Cusick said. Bison will be distributing the $1,000 donations to each athletic director and certificates can be used until the end of the calendar year.

The Lincoln-based manufacturer has been one of the industry’s top suppliers of sporting goods equipment for more than 35 years. Bison’s 100 employees continue to supply U.S. and international athletic directors, coaches, facility administrators and equipment managers with safe, durable, and innovative sports equipment made in the U.S.A. Bison also manufactures premium residential basketball equipment for families’ driveways and backyards.

As a longtime supporter of the National Federation of State High School Associations and current exclusive corporate partner for the sport of basketball, Cusick says, “Bison is proud of the impact we both play in high school athletes’ development as players and as students.”

Chris Livingston, Bison’s National Sales Manager, says, “Our hope is that this Bison Bucks program will help our schools by allowing them to use available budgets on other needs within their athletic programs. We feel like it’s our turn to give back for your support of Bison over the years.”