CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston's cross country and track & field teams flocked three lawns on Sunday evening to kick off their pink flamingo fundraiser. The Cougars are holding the fundraiser as a way to raise money for team travel and related expenses.  

Dozens of plastic pink flamingos, hand-decorated by the teams, will be placed on lawns of local supporters of the team. Once a house has been “flocked”, the owners contribute monetary donation to the team before removing the flamingos and placing them on another lawn of their choice. Donations are on a voluntary basis and no one is required to participate in the fundraiser.

“While we hope this will be a major fundraiser for us, we also hope it will raise awareness of our team and build community support from the grassroots level,” head coach Amy Seago said.

All donations will go directly towards supporting the men's and women's cross country teams and the women's track & field team. Contributions are tax-deductible.

The men's and women's cross country squads finished eighth and ninth, respectively, at the Southern Conference Championships in November. The men's team also competed in the 10K at the NCAA Southeast Regionals.

The women's track & field team began its 2009-10 indoor season at the Roaring Tiger Opener in Clemson, S.C. The Cougars compete next at the UNC Classic on Jan. 23.

Anyone interested in having a lawn flocked or donating to the teams should contact assistant coach Chad Williams at (843) 367-7720. Fans can also request to be added to a donor list and receive periodic email updates on the team by emailing cofcpinkflamingo@hotmail.com.