Video: The Booster Club is Back in the Game at This High School

LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Parents are helping students at a west Alabama high school on and off the field.

The South Lamar Booster Club is working to fill in some funding gaps in the athletic department.

But first, they must raise their own money.

Popcorn and soft drinks. Boosters can be found in the selling concessions and in the stands, but this club is finding its footing with creative fundraising and community support.

Jackie Wilson remembers the way things used to be here at South Lamar.

“A proud member of the first graduating class, thirty years ago, and when I was here, my mother and dad were very much involved. My dad was actually the first booster club president and it’s just coming back home and remembering how things were and how much we were involved in the school.”

Wilson is putting the booster back in the game.

Head football Coach Clay Gilliam is glad they’re on his team.

“We’re excited to have it back and all, you know, it wasn’t here for about three years, you know, the whole point of the booster club is to help the athletic programs out, you know, if they need it and all. We’re very blessed to have it back and functioning.”

First, members had to figure out ways to put money in the club’s empty budget.

“The goal was, of course, we had no money and the biggest was to try to get fundraisers where there was no money out of our pockets because we were really just functioning on membership fees, so our first big fundraiser was working the concession stand at Alabama home games,” says Wilson.

Just this year, the school’s biggest fans have raised several thousand dollars, including the nearly six-thousand made from working those Alabama games.

It’s gone towards travel and food expenses for the student athletes, and even a new mop for the basketball team.

“Each program, you know, once they pay referees and umpires and travel and at the time, drivers, insurance, you know, once they pay that, they are functioning very little on cash. So, our goal is to supplement all the programs here,” says Wilson.

That money has freed up the athletic department’s budget allowing coaches to buy new equipment for their players.