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| Volunteers experience fun, friendship and more! |
Whether it’s the purchase of
popcorn, hotdogs or fries at the Windham High School (WHS) concessions or an
event that brings in well-known guest speakers such as sportscaster, Tom Caron,
that encourages positive team experience– it is the Windham/Raymond Boosters
Club that puts it all together effortlessly; or, so it may seem.
As many know who are involved
in community-oriented organizations, it is the volunteers that make
the events
a success and the Boosters Club’s efforts to create confident student athletes is
no different. An organization that promotes a community image to be proud of,
the Windham/Raymond Boosters Club is seeking more volunteers to continue making
the club, and the students it supports, a success.
“Our goal is to help
promote athletic excellence, to create a positive community image and to
support competitive athletic programs,” explained volunteer member, Shelly Afthim
“and, volunteers are essential to fulfill the Boosters’ Club mission.”
Although students have participated and
volunteered in past fundraising events, a majority of Booster Club volunteers
have always been parents. Since volunteer requirements for WHS students have
changed recently with a focus on career discovery, volunteer participation has
declined, making it difficult to work events and fundraisers.
“When volunteer time was a requirement
for students, working in any of our sponsored events was an easy way for them
to get their hours,” explained volunteer member, Jennifer Kent. “The Boosters
used to host an annual car show and all of the fall athletes were required to
work the event, which helped out the Boosters, but also allowed the students to
get their volunteer hours in. Due to the lack of volunteers and the fact
that students no longer have this requirement, the Boosters have chosen not to
host this annual event.”
According
to RSU14 Athletic Director, Richard Drummond, the Boosters Club has been
involved in supporting WHS student athletes for over 30 years. “The Boosters
are very proactive to help all programs in our district and communities,”
explained Drummond. “It’s an organization that provides extra financial support
that the athletic budget just cannot provide. What is great about this group is
that it supports all sports. Many schools have individual booster clubs that
support a specific sport and or gender. The Windham/Raymond booster club at our
school is one club that supports all sports, all genders and shares funds
equitably for all the programs. This a huge asset as it ensures all kids, teams
and programs all have the same financial support and opportunities.”
The
amount of time required to be a volunteer for the Windham Boosters Club in
nominal, compared to many other volunteer organizations. “All that’s required
is 32 hours per parent over four years,” Afthim said. That
averages only eight hours per school year.
There are some benefits for both
parents and students who choose to volunteer. “Student athletes that
participate in one sport over 4 years of high school are eligible for an
athletic cord which is presented at the Spring Awards Banquet and Cording
Ceremony,” stated Kent. “Athletes that participate in two sports are eligible
for two cords, and for those that participate in 3 sports over their 4 years of
high school are eligible for 3 cords. Parents that volunteer 32 hours for
Booster sponsored events are able to present their student athlete with their
cords during the cording ceremony.”
Fundraising
events include the annual craft fair, concessions during sporting events, the
yearly engraved bricks program as well as a food booth at Windham Summerfest.
But fundraising isn’t the sole focus of the boosters’ club. They also offer an
annual well-attended “Meet the Coaches Night” that was established over 10
years ago.
“’Meet
the Coaches Night’ is a valuable night as you can hear from the coaches working
with your children directly about the upcoming season in regard to rules,
expectations and philosophy,” Drummond stated. “A positive athletic experience
is all about communication, so this night has proven to be most beneficial. As
the athletic director, we have been very fortunate to have the boosters support
in this event because we have been given the opportunity to bring in high
quality guest speakers from across the country that have been financially
supported by the booster organization.”
The
next “Meet the Coaches Night” is on Monday, November 26 at 7 p.m. and the
club is excited to announce that the guest speaker for this year’s event is Tom
Caron, a sportscaster and anchor for New England NESN and former sportscaster
for WGME in Portland.
The
low number of volunteers makes it difficult to keep up the much needed programs
and to support the student athletes in positive ways, helping them to grow into
contributing members of society who know how to work well with others. “When
the Boosters are unable to open the concession stand for either a high school
event or a youth event being held at the high school because we don’t have
enough volunteers, or we don’t have a manager available to be there,” explained
Kent “ we miss an opportunity to earn money to support the athletic program at
WHS, and thus an opportunity to support our students and the community.”
To inquire about volunteer efforts or
to learn more regarding the Windham/Raymond Boosters Club, contact Jennifer Kent at WindhamBoosters@yahoo.com
