Warrior Booster Club Kicks Off 'March Madness' Fundraising Efforts

Parents and supporters of extracurricular activities in are hoping for an early kickoff to fundraising efforts this year with two basketball-themed events.

The Warrior Booster Club is hosting its first March Madness Night on Saturday, March 19, at , 1243 State St. The event will feature a silent auction, raffles, food and drinks, with all proceeds going directly to extracurriculars at .

"The fundraiser is pretty similar to a lot of events, but we're really embracing the theme of March Madness and hoping we can have a lot of fun with that," said Old Quarry teacher and basketball coach Jack Williams, who helped organize the event.

Tickets are $45 per person, or $80 per couple. Beverages and food from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Warrior Booster Club members are urging those interested in tickets to purchase them as soon as possible, as there are a limited number available. As of Sunday, only 40 to 45 tickets were still available out of 125.

Those who are unable to purchase tickets are still encouraged to visit Slammers after 10 p.m. Owner Tom Gangas has agreed to donate 15 percent of any proceeds from 10 p.m. to close.

The boosters will also hold a fun, family-friendly fundraiser this weekend in the Old Quarry gymnasium.

On Saturday at 6 p.m., members of the Old Quarry boys and girls varsity basketball teams will unite to take on "the Village People" in a charity basketball game. Members of the opposing team will include Mayor Brian Reaves and Trustee Clifford Miklos, as well as Lemont firefighters and police officers.

The Old Quarry dance and cheerleading teams will perform during the event, while musical entertainment will be provided by the Old Quarry Band. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students.

"The kids are really excited about this game, so we hope people will bring their families out to watch and support the programs," Williams said.

Amy Kramer, president of the Warrior Booster Club, said parents are hopeful the fundraisers will help them get an early start on fundraising this year. After the Booster Club formed in March 2010, volunteers had just a few short months to raise more than $100,000 to support extracurricular activities in District 113A, which were part of the $3.17 million in cuts made last year.

"We're already looking ahead to the future, and we're operating under the assumption that we will need to continue running fee-based programs for students" Kramer said. "I think this is probably just the way we need to do things while the district rebuilds."

Activities supported by the Booster Club so far this year include: cross country, volleyball, basketball, dance, cheerleading, student council, National Junior Honor Society, Scholastic Bowl, Drama and Mathletes. This spring, the club will support track, boys and girls soccer, and girls softball.

Though boosters were forced to collect all registration and activity fees upfront last fall, Kramer said they hope to work to make fundraising less stressful and burdensome for parents and students.

"We have two main goals for next school year: to reduce fees for families and to raise money for scholarships for those students who cannot afford the new player fees," she said.

Kramer said she feels happy with how everything has gone so far, especially considering this is the club's first year organizing programs.

"We've had some bumps in the road, but overall we have been so happy with the response and outpouring of support for these kids," she said. "We're ready to do it all over again, so that's why we're getting started in March and not the summer."

Though Kramer acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the district's finances and the possibility of more cuts or even a state intervention, she said the Booster Club would remain committed to running extracurricular activities for as long as possible.

"I think we proved this year that we can run these programs and be responsible for fundraising and get it all done," Kramer said. "I hope that we get to continue that, regardless of what happens in the coming months."

For more information on the Warrior Booster Club or to purchase tickets for the fundraiser, visit www.warriorboosterclub.com.