Move over bake sales. Step aside car washes. Students in the new LHS Millionaire’s Club have found a way to learn about finance by launching a business.  These enterprising students have started a subscription service live-streaming program through High School Sports Network. 

On October 3, Nymeo, a local non-profit financial organization, donated $500 to the Linganore Millionaire’s Club at a ceremony that also introduced the club to LHS. 

Victoria Johnston, President and CEO of Nymeo, represented Nymeo at the ceremony. She said, “Nymeo is glad to sponsor this club. The financial skills that you are going to learn will last a lifetime. . . In my business, I see people from time to time that, unfortunately, didn’t get those skills. It’s important you get these skills early, learn them, and make them last.”

The Executive Director of Credit Union Foundation (the Millionaire’s Club founder) Kyle Swisher III and the Deputy Superintendent of FCPS Mike Markoe were also in attendance.

The live streaming business broadcasts the school’s sports games to fans who can’t attend in person. The streaming service also offers games on demand, dating back to the 2017-2018 sports season. The business profits through subscriptions to the service. The subscription options are $9.95 per month, $30.00 for four months, and $60.00 for one year.  The Millionaire’s Club plans to give the money they raise back to LHS student clubs and organizations in need.

According to club advisor, Roger Rich, the streaming service already has 87 subscribers over the service’s first two weeks of activity. The games are live streamed by the Digital Communications class, which is taught by Mr. Patrick Greene in the fall. Rich will teach the class in the spring. Some games that have already been streamed are the varsity football game against Westminster, varsity soccer versus North Hagerstown, and last year’s varsity basketball against Middletown.

The club has 13 members, and they are led by CEO and Class of 2020 member Meaghan Vauk. They plan to expand by selling advertisements to local businesses, as well as upgrading their cameras to give their subscribers a better quality viewing experience.

Rich, who is a new teacher at Linganore, brought the Millionaire’s Club with him from his previous school, Oakdale High School.

“My main purpose is helping kids understand how businesses work, such as how do they start, the hard work you have to put in, and what you can envision in the future,” he said.

The Millionaires Club, which is a youth outreach of the larger organization called The Credit Union Foundation, operates in schools across the state. The club encourages students to be informed about the world of finances before they leave high school. In the club, students develop a business in which the profits are given back to the school.

The non-profit foundation’s Millionaire’s Club outreach was created by Swisher six years ago.  He works with credit unions and teachers to find a way to educate teenagers on the importance of financial literacy. Swisher has many goals, but the main goal is centered around the students. 

He said, “We were anxious to get out in the community to help people become more successful at a young age.”

At the ceremony, Swisher said, “It’s unbelievable. I expected some schools to fundraise the old fashioned way, but a live-streaming business with subscriptions is off the charts. This school, among many others, have become very creative.”

Club member Dustin Keith said, “We have been really successful so far, and we are only going to keep getting bigger and bigger.”

The Millionaire’s Club will be streaming more games in the future, such as varsity field hockey versus Westminster on October 15, varsity volleyball versus Catoctin on October 23, and varsity football versus Urbana on November 2.