2003 Year in Review

Back to Sports: Morrison Listing | Back to Year in Review Index

Extra-curricular activity donations can be made to the Athletic Boosters

Submitted by the Morrison Athletic Boosters Board of Directors

With the upcoming school year starting in less than two months, the Morrison Athletic Boosters would like to inform the community of the challenger, and opportunities, facing parents and students at Morrison High School and Morrison Junior High.

We all know the outcome of the referendum last spring. As a result of that failed referendum, students at the Junior High and High School will be paying to participate in extra-curricular activities this year.

The activities the students will be paying extra for are not limited to sports such as volleyball, wrestling, swimming, track or football. Also included are activities such as Quiz Bowl, Instrumental Music (Jazz and Pit Band), Cheerleading and Pom Pons, and both the Fall Play and Spring Musical.

The fees for participation have been discussed, established, and printed in the News-Sentinel. The debate as to whether this is the appropriate method for paying for these activities was settled by the referendum, and this is now the reality with which we are faced.

Unfortunately, the participation fees will not cover all of the expenses of the extra-curricular activity budget, and the school board has stated that the District will not fund extra-curricular activities.

The total shortfall in the extra-curricular fund is approximately $40,000.00. The deficit at the High School is approximately $21,000, and the gap at the Junior High is roughly $19,000.

The Athletic Boosters have pledged to help close this shortfall so that all activities will be available to the students. Our goal is to raise $50,000 during the coming school year, and we will need the help of the community to achieve that goal.

In previous years, the Boosters raised money for items that were requested by coaches at the Junior High and High School. Last year, we purchased 36 volleyballs for the Junior High at a cost of $992. A sound system was purchased for the High School Cheerleaders and Pom Pon squad at a cost of $690.

A timer was acquired for the track program. We have also bought awards for teams and individuals that progressed to a certain level of excellence at various state tournaments. An example would be trophies that were presented to members of Varsity softball team, winners of the Regional Tournament held at our High School last spring.

At this point, a few facts regarding the Boosters should be mentioned:

We fund sports at both the Junior High and High School.

Anybody can join the Boosters; you do not have to have a child enrolled at the Junior High or High School.

There are approximately 370 students enrolled in the High School and 300 in the Junior High. We currently have 46 families enrolled in the Boosters.

Our membership fee is $5. Because of the funding shortfall, we are raising the fee to $10. In comparison, Rockridge High School, with an enrollment nearly the same as our high school, charges $25.

We normally work with a yearly budget of $9,000 to $12,000. We have pledged a goal of $50,000, or four times our typical yearly budget.

We have numerous fundraisers planned for the coming year. Our annual golf outing was held Saturday, June 21. Each year, we staff the gates at the Whiteside County Fairground during fair week. These are two of our most productive functions, generating about $8,500 each year.

We also participate in the John Deere Classic "Birdies for Charity" program held in conjunction with the John Deere Classic Tournament. Pledge cards for this event have been mailed to parents with students in the Junior High or High School. Basically, you pledge a certain amount that you will donate for every birdie made during the Classic tournament. If you pledge a penny for every birdie made, and 2,000 birdies are recorded during the tournament, your donation will total $20.

We are planning a "Yards For Our Goal" campaign. This will consist of a large "football" field, to be erected in a visible location in Morrison, with yard lines, end zones and logo available to citizens who wish to donate to the extra-curricular fund.

For a certain amount, you can "buy" a yard line on the field. Your name will be added to the field, on the yard line you chose to buy. The end zones and a logo at the 50-yard line (a Mustang, of course) will also be available to contributors. More information regarding this fundraiser will be made available at a later date.

We plan to operate a food stand at as many events as we can participate in, such as Paint The Town. We are trying to arrange outings, such as a cosmic bowling night, for parents and students. Other fundraisers are in the development stage.

All of these events require volunteers. As stated earlier, we currently have 46 families participating in the Boosters.

We need as many parents as possible to come to our monthly meetings (held the second Wednesday of each month, at the High School), to assist with fundraisers, volunteer to help staff extra-curricular events, etc.

We have a critical need for volunteers to help staff the Whiteside County Fair gates during fair week (Aug. 12-16). If you are interested and would like to help, call Teresa Stout at 772-8317. We have 160 slots to fill; again, this is a critical need.

At this time, we do not know what the consequences will be if we cannot make our goal for the extra-curricular fund. We do know what the District has told us; they will not fund extra-curricular activities.

Our fear is that if we fail, the activities mentioned earlier will be denied to the students. Of course, the parallel consequence is that parents will not have the option of watching their child participate in Quiz Bowl, Jazz Band, sports, plays or musicals.

by editor
2003-07-17 14:41:33