The Friends of Gardiner Football reformed this year after a 10-year hiatus. The organization folded when Rob Munzing stepped down as coach in large part because a number of parents left and no one picked up the ball.

The group is back, thanks to Chip Kelley, Cory Lathrop and George Phelps. Those are the only members right now, but Kelley says help is on the way. The group exists to promote high school football in Gardiner and to help defray some of the expenses. It's already chipped in several hundred dollars to pay for lights for two night games that were cut from the budget.
As Kelley points out, this also affects youth football since they play under the lights on Saturdays. Kelley has two sons, one a senior and one a freshman, so he's likely to be involved for at least four years.
The group is separate from the Gardiner Boosters and exists just to promote football, which is a big deal in Gardiner and most towns that have it. In addition to paying for lights, they've also promoted a rally for the annual Cony/Gardiner game, no small feat in preseason.
"We're not only raising money," Kelley said. "We want to get the community started up and get some businesses involved.
It's nice to have the group back.