(CNN) A high school rifle team in Pennsylvania will be getting new gear thanks to community businesses rallying around it after the school board voted against accepting a National Rifle Association grant.

The Stroudsburg High School rifle team has been using equipment that dated to the 1970s and was in need of an upgrade. The team learned about an NRA grant that would cover the nearly $5,000 cost of its new equipment. The team applied in December and recently learned it had won a grant. The last step the rifle team needed was the school board's approval.

On Monday, the Stroudsburg area school board voted six to two to reject the grant.

"The kids were very upset and I was upset myself," rifle team coach Mike Qendro told CNN affiliate WNEP.

"I was like, 'OK, we really need this and it's great we got it,' and then, all of a sudden, 'No, you can't have it.' But out of that sprung up local community members, just grass-roots, to take care of the team."

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