Benefit for athletic busing hopes to rally community

School budgets are tight everywhere, and when boards of education have to make tough financial decisions to save a teaching position or program, one of the areas often looked at is athletics. During the last five years, athletic programs in all three Presque Isle County school districts have taken major hits. In Rogers City, some of the programs to develop younger athletes have been chopped. There also was talk of making student/athletes ?pay to play.? The school board faced some serious cuts. Realizing the parents of athletes have to fork up enough cash to meet the needs of their student/athletes, the board searched for another place to cut.

In Onaway, there was talk a few years ago of totally gutting their junior high programs. In fact, the decision was made to shut all the junior programs down. It forced an effort by their booster organization and local individuals to establish an adopt-a-student/athlete program.

Unfortunately, last summer the board approved a measure creating a fee for athletes to ride buses to athletic events, but these are tough times. The Onaway school board closed Millersburg Elementary School last spring, ending more than 100 years of education in the village. Want to talk about tough decisions. That one was monumental for people in that community.

POSEN CONSOLIDATED School is in the middle of the budget battle as well. Last year, there was a partial cut to athletic transportation. This year, the figure on the line item for athletic transportation is zero. A year ago, parents of the volleyball team drove the athletes to various events and the cost to bus the football team was paid for by a local individual. Enough money was raised to pay for the transportation for other sports for the rest of the school year. Another issue brought up about this time a year ago was the safety of the kids, as a school bus is a lot safer than a packed mini van coming home from a late night basketball game on snowy roads.

Fast forward to this year. The Posen Athletic Boosters already have been supplementing the athletic budget in the district with several successful fundraisers, and over the last few years, the school board has become dependent upon those funds to pay coaches salaries, replace uniforms and keep programs running.

So, additional funding is needed for athletic busing. Sunday?s event will be a one-time deal at the school building, and if it is extremely successful, this might turn into a once every other year fundraiser. About $12,000 needs to be raised for this school year. First things first, getting people out for Sunday?s baked chicken dinner between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The rest of the menu includes buttered noodles, homemade breads and ?desserts to die for.?

?We just need people to come,? said booster Tammy Hincka. ?That?s what we need right now; check out the raffle, check out the live auction.? Organizers feel pretty confident, with the donations they?ve received for their Chinese raffle and live auction, they can reach their goal — unless the people stay home. ?We?ve received a really good respons

e considering the economy,? said village president Marilyn Kaszubowski, who has worked on 17 benefits in the Posen community, and offered her assistance in setting this one up.

Kaszubowski and a group of boosters were at the school going through the four pages of items that will be auctioned at 1:30 p.m. and given away during the Chinese raffles at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Four Michigan State/Western tickets, a Kewadin casino package and bicycles purchased by the boosters are on the list. There also will be 50/50 raffles and a basketball shoot out. The students themselves will be very much involved as well.

?Most of the coaches have assigned their teams a job for the day,? said Kaszubowski. ?We want them to be present in body so the public sees them. Organizers have been extending invitations to Posen High School alumni and their families for their support. Many booster members have been working since August to get this fundraiser off the ground. The reward will be safe transportation for the student/athletes, less for the coaches to be concerned about and less money the boosters have to raise.

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