 St. James Academy has a booster club?
Yes, that’s the job of the Crimson Club! But it’s not a traditional booster organization because it is not dominated by any one sport; in fact, it serves all sports and activities. The Crimson Club just concluded its first year of existence with more than one-third of St. James Academy families as members.
What does the Crimson Club do?
The annual Activities Program is an activities and athletics publication featuring coaches, sponsors, teams, clubs, and participants. It is distributed at all home events, reaching thousands of Thunder fans as well as visitors from throughout the metro area, and beyond. The Club’s members solicit advertising from area businesses which off-set publication costs. With the revenue generated by ad sales and direct membership sales, the Crimson Club has fulfilled wishes of several teams and activities, providing funding for major acquisitions.
Two ways to improve Crimson Club’s funding capabilities: increasing membership sales and increasing advertising revenue. They are inter-mingled because a family can solicit advertising and the corresponding ad rate will be their membership level, each explained in the documents, below.
Other events and fundraising plans include Trivia Night, 50/50 raffles, chili cook-off, and possibly a celebrity basketball game will further improve the funding capabilities of Crimson Club.
I can join for free?
Yes! Just secure an advertisement for the Activities Program. Deadline for advertising submissions for the 2009-2010 publication is June 15, 2009. The advertiser order form is posted below. Ask an area business person to market their product/service to our community, via the Activities Program. Additional advertising placements are available in the new 2009-10 school calendar and on our sports rosters. (These opportunities are explained on the advertiser order form.) Any St. James Academy family securing an ad in the Activities Program receives the corresponding level of membership in the Crimson Club - at no out of pocket cost!
What if I don't want to sell advertising?
Please complete the membership registration in the brochure, below. Return with payment for your preferred level of membership to the St. James Academy Development Office.
Membership premiums will be distributed at check-in day, in early August.
Why should our family join?
Student organizations are encouraged to enhance their experiences by:
- traveling to a venue to observe professionals in their area of interest,
- participating in competitions outside the season schedule, or
- acquiring specialized equipment.
In the past, these special needs would have required a fundraiser by each organization. In order to reduce the number of times our students and families are asked to donate to any club’s efforts (for example, jeans day passes offered multiple times a year, or candy bar or trash bag sales throughout the year which support a different club or team each time) the Crimson Club serves as a resource for funding the above-mentioned extraordinary needs.
How has Crimson Club made a difference in its first year?
Through an application process established by the Activities and Athletics offices, gifts ranging from $750 to $2,000 were awarded to six organizations in 2008-09. Crimson Club enabled the team/club to acquire equipment which will improve their efforts, and enhance the participating students’ experiences for years to come. Wrestling was able to acquire foam safety mats needed for their workout space; Science Olympiad acquired durable goods, study guides, and items needed for transporting projects to competitions and storage; Soccer acquired four new goals for practices; and Baseball and Softball will start the new season with practice cages, portable bases, etc.
The 2008-09 awards benefited more than 200 St. James Academy students who participate in these activities!
Could your organization benefit from an acquisition of equipment?
To enhance the long-range experiences of St. James Academy students, encourage the coach or sponsor to submit an application. They are available from the Director of Activities & Athletics.
How can I get involved?
To volunteer for Crimson Club leadership, events, or communications please contact the Development Office at (913)254-4228 or Karen Maginn. So far, the organization has been led by multiple volunteers who helped with start up. They have participated in brainstorming sessions, served dinners, sold programs and rosters, started 50/50 drawings, set up receptions, and helped coordinate mailings. We are very grateful for all their efforts.
On behalf of the coaches, sponsors and students at St. James Academy who benefit from the Crimson Club resources, thank you for your support!
Questions? Contact Karen Maginn, Director of Development, (913)254-4228
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