By Jamie Ausk Crisafulli
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
Calling all parents of Dawson County High School athletes: The Red Devil Booster Club is looking for your support.
While the Red Devil Booster Club is one of the best high school booster clubs in the state, Club President Terry Hood said individual memberships, particularly those of parents of student athletes, have dwindled in recent years. He wants to see that turn around.
The membership kickoff for the 2016-17 school year is Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the DCHS cafeteria. The meeting will include a baron of beef dinner provided by Glendive mayor and long-time Red Devil athletics supporter Jerry Jimison. Coaches reports will follow at 7:15 p.m. and a brief business meeting with election of officers will complete the evening.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Dinner is $10.
Membership benefits student athletes
The club was established in 1962 by a small group of residents who wanted to help fund athletics for the high school.
Current active members are a group of sports enthusiasts whose main goal is to raise money to purchase the safest and most up-to-date equipment and uniforms as possible, according Hood.
Money is raised by selling business and individual memberships and through various fund raisers held throughout the year.
Membership to the club is inexpensive and the benefit to Dawson County High School athletics programs is invaluable. An individual membership can be purchased for just $20. Businesses are $35.
“Every membership counts,” Hood noted.
Last year there were about 120 business members and 110 individual members.
“I just don’t understand why anybody, if they knew what we did and what we do for the kids, why they wouldn’t at least join to be members,” Hood said.
Paying membership dues can be the only thing an individual does to support the club, or they can choose to get more involved by attending monthly meetings during the school year or helping with fund raisers, like selling 50/50 tickets.
The money raised goes directly to athletic programs.
“Sometimes there is need for equipment or new uniforms for a certain sport and, unfortunately, the annual school budgets do not always have funds allocated for that need. This is where the Red Devil booster Club steps in,” Good said.
Coaches fill out request forms and those requests are presented to the Booster Club.
While the club has purchased many items throughout the years, the most visible are likely the team uniforms. Uniforms for the teams are on a five-year rotation.
“Usually by then most uniforms are worn and torn,” Hood said. “If not for the Red Devil Booster Club stepping in to help, the athletes would have to wear unsafe equipment or the parents themselves would have to purchase the new uniforms.”
The Booster Club has also recently donated money to the DCHS fine arts program and to the Washington Middle School football program.
“We fulfill almost every needs request,” said Hood, adding that in his 11 years as a member he has only seen two requests turned down because they did not meet the requirements of the club.
The club is now a tax-exempt non profit 501(c)3, a status they sought to be able to hold the funding donations for the Oakland Athletic Complex concessions stand. This means that all donations to the club are now tax deductible. Donations for Phase 2 of the concession stand/ticket booth project or for the Red Devil Booster Club in general can be given to Terry Hood at 939-2535.
Hood will also pick up membership fees for anyone who is not able to make the meeting Wednesday.
Reach Jamie Ausk Crisafulli at rreditor@rangerreview.com.