Band needed to go to a competition. Booster club provided. Theater needed projectors and equipment for shows. Booster club provided. When the athletic department needed computers for the swim team, booster club provided. They have been able to feed students and get them whatever they need to make it through the school year. Boosters have provided so much for our school’s organizations.

Booster clubs are organizations in schools that provide for specific organizations on campus. They are run by the parents of students within said organizations. Filled with parents and family members of the students who want to be involved with the activities their kids love, the parent involvement is a significant reason the school thrives. Parents are seen trying to do as much as they can for the kids. In fact, band boosters alone have already had over 1800 volunteer hours.

“I joined booster club because both of my daughters do a lot of stuff up at the theater,” said Jennifer Steele Tiger Theatre Booster Club President. “I know a lot of support is needed by the parents for the teachers and the kids. There is so much to be done that it needs to be spread out through more people. To be able to help out with that was important to me.”

The school board provides a lot for our students, but there is only so much they can do. Boosters come in and provide the extra necessities needed by the organizations, such as equipment, dinners and new uniforms.

“Anything the [athletic department] needs that’s not in the budget, we provide. The coaches will come to us, and we will help out with anything from computers for the swim team to extra uniforms,” said Billy Lavender athletic booster club president. “We just make sure our athletes are taken care of. In the two years, I’ve been involved [with boosters], I don’t think we’ve said ‘no’ one time.”

Students put in a lot of hours to perfect their talents and interests. The parents notice that and try to do whatever they can so that the kids can be successful in what they love.

“A lot of people in today’s society say kids are lazy. That’s just not true. When you look at the students at Texas High, a majority of them are involved in some extracurricular,” said James Henry Russell band booster club co-president. “They put in 60 to 80-hour work weeks, and that’s incredible. When you see kids working hard and with such energy, it’s easy to want to volunteer and help.

Fundraisers and volunteering are a key part of boosters. The fundraisers are where most of the money comes from for boosters. They need the volunteers to work and provide so that their goals can be met.

“Getting volunteers is most important. We are responsible for the concession stands at all the home football and soccer games. I think it sets a good example when the kids see us volunteering,” said Rosemary Russell band booster co-president. ”They see their parents helping and giving back. It makes [the students] understand how important that is in their own lives. [The parents] have a lifetime where they volunteer and fundraise without anything in return.”

The work the parents do in our school is unprecedented. Some of the greatest contributions to the school’s organizations have come from boosters. They work hard to make sure all our students are the best they can be.

“TISD goes above and beyond any district I’ve seen in providing for students, but it’s hard to provide what is needed just for what is required for band, journalism or any activity,” Russell said. You want the students to not only have the great required experiences but to go to the next level. One of the reasons we work so hard to raise money is to enhance the experiences of the program.”