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Want to give? Only through unified boosters

NEW ULM — The Eagles Unified Booster Club is now the primary way to give money to most extracurricular activities in District 88.

The Board of Education approved a resolution last month during its board meeting, officially making the Unified Booster Club and the New Ulm Music Booster Club the only official booster clubs for the district.

“The number-one goal of this, in my opinion, of the School Board was, we are all working toward a common goal now,” Activities Director Troy Guentzel said. “We are not all in it for ourselves, we are in it for each other and saying ‘hey we all want to get better, we all want to do these things.'”

Previously boosters could be formed for each sport, raising money only for that team. That left some sports out in the cold.

“When I came onboard, the School Board had a desire to take all of the separate boosters and make a unified booster so there was more of a school spirit, supporting all programs,” Superintendent Jeff Bertrang said. “Before we unified, some sports had nobody — no booster, no support.”

District members may remember the Unified Booster Club running over the 2016-17 school year. That was a test run, so the Unified Booster Club could begin picking up some of the bigger fundraisers while the individual boosters continued their normal activities.

Now that those individual boosters cannot raise money for the school, donations can no longer be earmarked for a specific activity. So if someone gives $10,000 they cannot specify it all go to the football team, though some of it probably will.

The new booster club will also mean fewer fundraisers that are bigger, better targeted and more accountable, Bertrang said.

In previous years many fundraisers were put on by many people, leading to fundraiser fatigue.

“When every kid for every activity is trying to sell something, peddle something, get something to parents, to community members and the businesses, everybody is getting hit up multiple times,” Bertrang said.

Now it should be easier to know when a fundraiser is the one for that season. It can also increase the accountability of fundraisers.

Previously, Unified Booster Club President Peter Guggisberg said, he might get called about a calendar for the school and sign on, but not see a calendar ever printed.

Now businesses can ask for affiliation with the Unified Booster Club or contact the booster directly if they are unsure of a fundraiser’s veracity.

Another boon from the change is the school can avoid complications with the federal Title IX regulations.

Before, if, say, the boys soccer team received $3,000, the district had to provide equitable funds for the girls team.

Now the school can take in a donation and spread it around evenly without running afoul of federal law.

The unified booster, which is officially separate from the district, welcomes volunteers. It also sells memberships for families and businesses at different levels.

The only other booster the district will be accepting donations from is the music booster, which is a long-running supporter of multiple fine arts programs.

The district did not want to try to stir up trouble by forcing it under the same roof as the unified booster. Bertrang called that idea “a bridge too far.”

For more information or to suggest a fundraising idea email the booster club at eaglesunifiedboosters@gmail.com, visit sites.google.com/a/newulm.k12.mn.us/eagle-booster-club/ or find its Facebook page “Eagles Unified Booster Club.”

Connor Cummiskey can be emailed at ccummiskey@nujournal.com.

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