Parents seek to aid High Point High School athletics program

Boosters club needs money for equipment, volunteers for repairs

‘‘It’s a handful of people and the same handful of people are doing the work,” said club member Jim Cheney. ‘‘It just seems like the school system should put a lot more effort into the boosters club. The school’s Web page can be linked to another Web page to get more community involvement.”

Parent Johnnie Blackwell, who was elected club president in September, said that of the 60 members, only 20 are active participants who attend meetings and work the concession stand at games.

To drum up more interest, Blackwell has started a Web page, www.hphsboosters.com, telling parents about the club.

He expects it to blossom into a full-fledged Web site soon where coaches can fill out equipment wish-list requests. A proposed club fulfillment committee would talk to the coaches about getting needed equipment.

‘‘We’re very excited about the boosters club,” said High Point athletic director Shirley Diggs. ‘‘The club could help out in a number of ways.”

Parent assistance is needed on leveling the baseball field, upgrading and renovating the concession stand, installing new fencing around the athletic fields and new goal posts at the football field, Diggs said.

The club is working with the school’s PTSA to come under its fundraising umbrella to make use of the PTSA’s nonprofit status.

‘‘It would allow the boosters club to do fundraising and donations would be tax deductible,” Blackwell said. ‘‘That means the boosters club doesn’t have to apply for non-profit status. It takes months for that to come through.”

One of the biggest challenges for the boosters club will be effectively engaging the Latino community, said Blackwell, who wants to have club information translated into Spanish.

According to state school statistics, 41 percent of students at High Point are Hispanic.

‘‘I don’t think we have a single active Spanish-speaking member of the club right now,” he said.

Sophomore Taylor Blackwell, 15, who runs track, said the club would help to better promote the school and its athletes.

‘‘The school kind of has a bad reputation so if the people could see the good things people are doing and not focus on the bad stuff, they would see some really good athletes at the school, and see that the coaches and teachers are supportive,” she said.

Johnnie Blackwell said in an e-mail that there has been gang fights and threats of gang fights.

‘‘I have heard students and even some teachers joke that they are almost ashamed to tell people what school they attend or teach at when asked but High Point has some really, really good teachers,” he said.

The club is also hoping to get some support from the business community.

Blackwell said the group has already been contacted by Moe’s, a restaurant in College Park, to host a ‘‘High Point Night” where the club will receive 20 percent of every order purchased that night.

E-mail Deborah Stoudt at dstoudt@gazette.net.

If you go

The Athletic Boosters Club’s next meeting is 6:45 p.m. on Jan. 7 in Room 108 at High Point High School, 3601 Powder Mill Road. Go to www.hphsboosters.com.