In the fall of 2023, a group of determined parents and community members set themselves an ambitious goal: Revitalize the Athens ISD Athletic Booster Club and raise $100,000 before the school year ends.
Mission accomplished — with over three months to spare.
“Through the effort of countless people and over 3,000 hours of volunteer work, we’ve been able to meet that goal as of last week,” said Athletic Booster Club President Christopher Tinsley. “We’ve now raised $101,000 that we can give back to our student athletes.”
The club has made several purchases since July, among them:
- Ball-tracking machine for basketball which will automatically capture player and ball movement in real time;
- New bench covers to protect soccer players from wind and rain;
- New padded sideline chairs in the Athens Middle School gym;
- Softball pitching machines;
- Turf covers for on-deck circles at the new baseball and softball fields to prevent wear and tear;
- GameTime subscriptions for all sports;
- Playoff shirts; and
- Launching a nutrition program to provide protein shakes, protein bars and granola bars for all active district athletes.
The Athletic Booster Club is able to provide auxiliary support for the district's 750 student athletes thanks to sponsors and supporters who contribute both financially and through their time and effort. So far this school year, over 100 adults and 200 students have volunteered toward that effort. Sales through concessions have netted just over $73,000. Those sales include over 8,000 water bottles, nearly 4,000 Gatorades and more than 2,300 hot dogs.
“This community has really stepped up for our athletes — from sponsors, volunteer businesses, fans, parents, grandparents and siblings. It has been a very impressive year,” said Booster Club Bookkeeper and School Board Member Margaret Richardson.