CONCORD, Calif. -- It's rare that people walk out of a school board meeting smiling, but that's what they did in Concord on Tuesday night. What once seemed unattainable had been achieved.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised, and the school board said it was enough to continue winter sports.

Quite a feat, considering a few months ago there wasn't enough cash to fund fall sports.

The 6-1 Clayton Valley Eagles are gearing up for Friday's grid-iron showdown with crosstown rival Ygnacio Valley High School. But this stellar season almost didn't happen. State budget cuts forced the district back in March to cancel all sports.

"It was quite devastating to even fathom the idea of kids not having high school sports," said Mt. Diablo Athletic Foundation Board Member John Antaki.

Antaki and other concerned parents quickly formed a foundation and started asking -- begging really -- for money. And it worked.

Between a 5k run earlier this month at Concord's Newhall Park and a steady stream of individual and corporate donations, more than $516,000 was raised. That total was half of the $1.2 million needed to keep sports going through next spring.

"Given those events, given what's transpired, I think we need to take a little bit of a risk," said school district board president Gary Eberhart.

Eberhart said the impressive fund raising convinced him to give the green light to winter sports such as soccer and basketball.

Eagles team captain Jonathan Carlson was glad other student athletes will have the chance to compete. He also said sports have made him a better student.

"It keeps me focused on school. It keeps me active," said the 17-year-old senior. "It's a good way to keep busy."

Members of the girl's basketball team have been conditioning, despite not knowing if they'd actually hit the court. Word that they will has given them reason to smile.

"We are all excited. We are ready to get this season started," said 17-year old senior Clayton Valley High basketball player Taylor Allen. "We've been training all year still. We haven't stopped, but it's really good to know that it's set in stone that we are going to get to play this year."

The fund raising will continue with organizers now set on saving spring sports.

Former Oakland Raiders tight end Jeremy Brigham said he'll donate all of the proceeds from his annual golf tournament in November to the foundation.