Lake City High School: Scout Brown boosted school spirit with a thrift shop for game day gear

School spirit doesn’t come cheap, so Scout Brown did something about it.

As a sophomore at Lake City High School, she lamented the high cost of shirts, jackets and all the other gear that make Friday night lights so special.

Looking back, the idea seems so simple.

After winning a seat on the student council, Brown began her sophomore year with a goal of boosting school spirit.

“It’s hard for some kids to find affordable things to wear to games,” said Brown, now a senior. “The online store has some nice things, but it’s pretty expensive.”

With her mother’s support, Brown and others in student government opened an on-site thrift store and hoped that Lake City alumni would answer the call for donations of vintage gear.

The message went out on Instagram, Facebook and old-fashioned word of mouth.

The response in that fall of 2023 was immediate and almost overwhelming.

“We got $200 worth of items on the first day and $400 on the second day,” said Brown, who collected bags dropped by former athletes, alumni and other people in Coeur d’Alene.

Led by Brown and several friends, the Lake City ASB established the thrift store on campus, allowing students to gear up at affordable prices. Donations dropped off a bit after the initial response but have remained steady ever since.

The project has raised thousands of dollars for a variety of school functions, such as decorations for school dances and other school activities.

“I’m very proud of her,” said Scout’s mother, Gina Brown. “It was so great to see the community come around. And the staff has been really helpful.”

For Brown, who’s also a Timberwolves cheerleader, the results were heartwarming. “It’s been really fun, and I loved Friday nights, cheering on the boys in football and basketball.”

Even better, students turn out for games wearing the jerseys worn by past athletes.

In nominating Brown for inclusion in The Spokesman-Review special section, Lake City staffers praised her for “turning a hobby into a fundraiser and has established a great system for future student council leaders.”

Brown is also ranked in the top 10% in her class academically – an all-around success story even more noteworthy because she was a late entry into Coeur d’Alene Public Schools.

One of three children, Brown attended North Idaho Christian School for elementary, then made a big jump for middle school to Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy, enrollment 400.

“It was easy to make friends there,” Brown said. And, despite its 1,500-plus students, she had no trouble adjusting to Lake City. At the same time she remains active in her church youth group and works part time in a Coeur d’Alene confectionery store.

The next transition will be tougher.

“I feel like I’m going to miss everything here,” Brown said. “When I when I think about graduation, I cry almost every time.”

Come fall, Brown won’t be far away. She’s already well on her way to an associate degree at North Idaho College, thanks to its dual-credit program.

And after that?

“I think I want to be a teacher,” Brown said.