Booster club seeks members

Two South Whidbey women are looking for a few good volunteers.

Sue Williams and Mary Eaton, co-presidents of South Whidbey High School’s Booster Club are hoping to recruit new members this year to share the workload to support high school athletes.

These Booster Club moms say parents are missing out on a lot of fun and the opportunity to provide more support to their student athletes.

Membership has dwindled during the previous four years from a high of 100 members to about 30.

According to Williams, “Not everyone is actively involved.”

The Booster Club raises money with its annual membership fee — $15 per family — several fund-raisers during the school year, and by operating the concession stand. It gives half of the concession profit to the school’s Associated Student Body organization.

They are concerned because the club’s numbers are dwindling even though it reduced the membership cost.

“The joining fee is significantly less this year, down from $20 per person,” Eaton said.

Another club project is to provide extra equipment to coaches.

“We find out what the coaches need for their team that isn’t provided for in the regular budget,” Williams said. “For instance, this year we bought a new scale and mat lamp for the wrestling team. In 2002 Boosters paid for netting for the soccer team and timing equipment for cross country.”

Booster dollars bought recognition plaques — now hanging in the gym — that honor championship teams from 1982 to the present.

“We hope to keep adding to those,” Eaton said.

The Boosters bought the dirt for the high school baseball field and started the Sports Hotline, which lists schedule information on whatever teams are active at the time. The group also helps finance state-tournament bound teams, provides scholarships for camp and helps with the summer medical clinic.

“We have a lot of responsibilities to these kids,” Eaton said. “Maintaining a fund balance to help when needed is our goal. In order to do that, we need more support from the parents of our student athletes. We would like to see more parents of the younger athletes step forward.”

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