Watkins Glen Booster Club
The Watkins Glen Sports Booster Club was formed to support the athletic programs of Watkins Glen High School. The primary source of funding is the operation of food concession stands during both outdoor and indoor sports events. The Booster Club also operates concession stands during special events, such as sports tournaments and community activities such as the Relay for Life.
Officers are elected each spring for the following year. The Booster Club does not have dues or a formal membership list. Monthly meetings are open to anyone, and everyone is welcome to participate in the decision-making. An e-mail contact list is used to announce meetings and to ask for assistance in the concession stands.
The 2011-2012 officers are:
~ President, Lisa Palumbo, Lap4383@aol.com, 546-4230
~ Vice President, Caroline Simpson, 535-4582
~ Treasurer, Kelly Bliss
~ Secretary, Lorry Johnson, mlkj4146@aol.com
The Booster Club works closely with the district Athletic Manager and all coaches. Requests from coaches for purchase of items that would not normally be included in the district’s athletics budget are funneled through the Athletic Manager.
In the last few years, the Sports Booster Club has purchased or helped purchase: warm ups for the Cross Country Team, record boards for the swimming pool area, wrestling mat, and a new high jump pit.
The Sports Booster Club also commissioned the Hall of Fame panels and record boards in the Fieldhouse hallway and assisted in purchasing several of the championship banners that hang in the Fieldhouse gym.
Financial donations from the Booster Club are made to various school teams/clubs when requested and approved. Previous donations have included purchasing ad space from the Jr. Class to support the program for the Sr. Class Play, donating to the Sr. All-Night Party Committe, etc. Community organizations such as Live Like Liz, the Italian American Festival, the GLM Memorial have all been recipients of proceeds from 50/50 events held at sports tournaments throughout the years.
Each spring, the Booster Club accepts applications from athletes for financial support for sports camps. Several thousand dollars have gone to this effort in the last few years.
While the Booster Club oversees the operations of the concession stands, it also provides opportunities for high school clubs and sports teams to run the stand themselves, earning 25 percent of the proceeds. This is a popular way for clubs to earn some extra money for their own projects.
The biggest event of the year for the Booster Club is the Sports Awards Night in June, at which every junior varsity and varsity team and its members are honored. Trophies, paid for by the Booster Club, are presented to selected athletes on each team. The Booster Club itself honors the Fan of the Year.
The Sports Awards Night is a fun evening, and it is open to the public. All athletes and their families are encouraged to attend and honor the teams.
The Booster Club always needs new people with new ideas, so please consider being part of this great effort.
To get in touch with the Watkins Glen Sports Booster Club, e-mail wgboosterclub@yahoo.com or contact any of the officers. We can also be found on Facebook at "Watkins Glen Sports Booster Club."
Go Senecas!