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The Eastwood Athletic Boosters are planning three new projects for the upcoming year.
The projects are providing workers for all admission gates at the Wood County Fair, a reverse raffle and the awarding of four scholarships to senior athletes.
The boosters also will hold their third annual Eastwood Open golf outing July 15 at Belmont Country Club in Perrysburg.
The boosters already are preparing for their second year as their first year is coming to a close.
During their first year, the boosters raised money to pay for the Hudl video and scouting system, bought new mats for the high school gymnasium, and sold reserved seat privileges for girls and boys basketball.
The Hudl system cost approximately $4,000.
Wright said the boosters raising money to pay for Hudl enabled the athletic department to focus on other needs financially, explaining athletic director Jeff Hill has developed a schedule for when each sport will have new jerseys or uniforms.
“The first year, people will follow anything to see what people think of it, but getting people to renew or comeback for the second year, that’s when you see your success,” said Kyle Wright, the president of the boosters. “We’re starting to see the fruits of our labor.”
The jersey/uniform schedule was given to the boosters at their April meeting, Wright said.
“There is now a schedule set for every single sport when they’re getting new jerseys,” Wright said. “Raising the money for the Hudl system allows the athletic department to do more.
“People are starting to see the impact we’re having, and it’s allowing us to get our sights on bigger projects we have lined up,” Wright added. “Those chunks of money are allowing us to set our sights on bigger things.”
The boosters had 156 members, as of their April meeting.
“People have definitely bought in,” Wright said. “I’m pretty happy with that (156 members) one year in. Initially, when we started, we definitely were unsure of the direction we wanted to take.
“We were stuck in the middle between wanting to grow as an organization and gain resources,” Wright added. “But it’s hard for people to jump on board when they’re not seeing accomplishments carried out.”
The boosters already are accepting membership renewals and new memberships for the 2022-23 academic year. Memberships are $25 again this year and available online at www.eastwoodboosters.com.
“We wanted to change as few variables as possible to gauge our success to see how many people renew,” Wright said. “We’d love to see everyone renew and what we can grow to by next May’s meeting.”
Following is a look at the upcoming events:
May annual meeting
The boosters’ May meeting, to be held May 9 this year, is the organization’s most important meeting of the year, Wright said. The boosters meet the second Monday of each month with the exception of July. They’ll meet again in June, take July off and then resume their regular meetings in August.
Among the items to be covered at the annual meeting are:
The positions up for election this year are vice-president, secretary and two at-large positions. The president, treasurer and other at-large member will be up for election the in May 2023.
“If you have all seven turn over at the same time, sometimes notes get lost and processes get lost in the translation,” Wright said.
Wood County Fair workers
The boosters reached an agreement with the Wood County Fair Board to provide all of the gate workers for the fair Aug. 1-7.
“We feel it’s a really good opportunity for Eastwood athletics to raise a large chunk of money right at the beginning of the school year,” Wright said. “The amount of money we’re getting is going to be large enough, it’s going to benefit lots and lots of groups.
“It’s an opportunity for students and our parents to have exposure in the community,” Wright added. “Eastwood has always had a lot of great kids, a lot of kids who are involved in the farm aspect and the activities at the fair. It’s a good chance to promote Eastwood athletics in the community. Most families are already going to the fair.”
Wright said the boosters are finalizing the details, including how the shifts will be divided and how many workers will be needed.
Wright said he a letter to every high school and middle school coach to “gauge interest” in working the gate at the fair.
“The response was overwhelmingly positive,” Wright said. “The vast majority of the coaches responded by not only saying are in they in support of this, but they’re willing to do anything and everything to help out.”
Coaches, athletes and their parents also will be used to work the gates.
“People are surprised how much fun it is because we’re a small community,” Wright said. “When you do this stuff, you know half the people there. The fun thing about this is there is a large percentage of our student-athletes, parents and coaches who already find themselves at the fair at some point during the week.
“Having the entire Eastwood community on board is going to be a necessity to pull this off,” Wright added. “It’s vast and it’s a lot, but Eastwood people have a track record of stepping up when it’s needed.”
Reverse raffle
The reverse raffle is Jan. 14 at the Pemberville American Legion, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets will be $100 each, and there are plans to offer a dinner-only ticket.
“They used to do the reverse raffle, and it was a great fundraiser for the boosters,” Wright said. “We wanted to bring that back, but we really wanted to place an emphasis on having something fun, that people look forward to every year.”
The boosters still are brainstorming ideas for the raffle, but Wright said one of the top ideas for the theme so far is a casino night.
“One of the ideas that has been floated out there, which I’ve been to with other fundraisers, is a casino night,” Wright said. “I thought that would be a lot of fun.”
If the raffle is a casino night, Wright said the dealers would be familiar faces in the Eastwood community. The night probably would include a silent auction.
“We want to make it an evening that people will look forward to going to next year,” Wright said.
Tickets will be available online or through any boosters member.
Scholarships
The boosters will announce at their May meeting the winners of four $1,000 scholarships to seniors who participated in varsity athletics.
Those who applied for the scholarship had to write an essay detailing a lesson/key takeaway they learned from participating in sports at Eastwood, and how that will affect their life in the future.
There is no minimum grade-point average required and no minimum requirement for the number of letters earned or sports played.
“A big foundation of the athletic boosters is the people involved feel athletics play an important role in developing young men and women,” Wright said. “We wanted to hear from them first-hand how sports played an important role in developing their future.”
Nineteen athletes applied for the scholarship.
The winners were decided by the organization’s board members. Wright said each board member ranked their top four in order, and the votes were tallied from that to decide the winners. The submissions were numbered, so the athletes were anonymous when their essays were read.
“As a board, we were blown away by the essays,” Wright said. “It was really amazing. It was really rewarding reading those. We all experienced this because we were a part of it, but seeing these kids are still taking away such valuable lessons in life, we wish we could have given away 19 scholarships. The essays were that good.”
Because the boosters are only in their first year, Wright was pleased the organization could award scholarships to the seniors.
“It was good we did this because we’ve asked for everyone’s support, not just parents of middle schoolers or underclassmen,” Wright said. “We’re getting support from parents of juniors and seniors, and one of the vows we made when we started this was everyone will be rewarded from this, not just the up-and-coming athletes. There are seniors who, at least, received some benefit from the boosters who had money donated this year.”
Eastwood Open
The event is a four-person scramble with registration at 7:30 a.m. followed by a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $100 per player.
Advance entries should be sent to Chet Welch, 130 Louisiana Ave., Perrysburg, 43551. Checks should be made payable to the Eastwood Athletic Boosters.
For more information on the golf part of the event, contact Welch at (419) 215-4482 or Mick Foster at (419) 348-4934.
Sponsorship opportunities are available, too.
For more information on sponsorships, contact Foster at (419) 348-4934 or moneydriver4833@gmail.com.
The reaction to the formation of the Eastwood Athletic Boosters has been “super positive,” organization president Kyle Wright said.
The club’s primary goal is to raise money for the district’s 20 high school and 12 middle school athletic teams.
The boosters had 128 members as of their monthly meeting Aug. 9.
The organization’s by-laws were adopted in March, and its officers were elected in April.
“The community really rallies around the sports programs, and the district, in general,” Wright said. “There’s a lot of people, when anything happens, who are behind Eastwood athletics. The support has been great, and we wouldn’t expect anything different.”
The organization meets the second Monday of every month, with the exception of July when there is no meeting. The meetings are held in the Eagles Nest.
The boosters have 501(C)(3) status, making the organization tax exempt.
‘Growth and outreach’
The booster officers have been busy spreading the word about the organization.
The organization will have a booth in the commercial tent at the Pemberville Free Fair Wednesday through Saturday. Memberships are $25. Memberships also are available at eastwoodboosters.com. Current memberships are good through the 2021-22 school year.
Wright spoke to Eastwood’s high school and middle school fall sports parents and athletes late last month.
“We’re in our outreach and growth stage,” Wright said. “We were very well received at those fall sports meetings, and we received several donations from people who wanted to donate just to support our cause.”
The boosters already have approximately $21,000 in the bank, including approximately $8,000 from this summer’s golf outing organized by Mick Foster and Chet Welch.
“I’m happy to say four months in, we have a little over $21,000, which is no surprise in this community because they support athletics,” Wright said.
The organization has completed one project already, the purchase of new mats for the west wall of the high school gym.
“We’re in the get up and running stage, the initial stages,” Wright said. “The projects will come. We have a lot of ideas, and we’re brainstorming. Right now, we want to set up the lines of communication, so the coaches know the proper protocols for approaching us when there is a need. Our goals have been to support Eastwood athletics where it’s needed. What that looks like, we don’t know exactly because it’s really dependent on the resources we obtain.
“One of the most important things, and I think there was some misconstruing was that if the athletic department doesn’t want to pay for something, they’re just going to send people to the boosters,” Wright added. “It’s not that at all. While we work in conjunction with Mr. Hill (athletic director Jeff Hill), it should be business as normal when coaches need things from the school. We’re a group of people who are passionate about Eastwood sports. When we see a need that is unfilled, we want to be there to help.”
Senior scholarships
Wright said the boosters will be starting a scholarship for graduating seniors each year. He expects 2-3 boys and 2-3 girls to receive the scholarships each year, although the criteria for the scholarships is still being finalized.
“We’re committed to that, beginning this school year,” Wright said. “We want to give them some sort of scholarship money, and it’s also an incentive for the parents of upperclassmen to join the boosters and get behind this.”
Tiered memberships
Wright also expects the organization to have tiered memberships, allowing its members to receive perks, based on the membership level they join.
Already this fall, the Eastwood athletic department and the boosters are allowing booster members to purchase specific seat locations for home football games at a higher price for the ticket. Members will be able to do the same for boys and girls basketball games.
“There are going to be perks for being a member,” Wright said. “This year, we kept (the membership cost) very affordable because we’re new, but we’ve seen what other schools are doing, and they’ve had success with the tiered memberships. Higher tiers get you more things like your name in the program. That’s something we plan to pursue in the near future.”
Reverse raffle/yearly banquet
The boosters might host a reverse raffle to raise money for the organization, but Wright wasn’t sure that would happen.
“We plan to have some kind of yearly banquet or fundraiser, but we don’t know if it’ll be a reverse raffle,” Wright said. “In the past, we’ve had the reverse raffle, and there’s been a lot of requests to bring that back.
“Coming out of COVID, and people not being able to do as many things in person, people are looking forward to getting together. We’d like to have an annual boosters event, but we don’t know what form it will take. We’ve been brainstorming that because it’s something we want to do.”
Wright also said one of the group’s long-term goals is simplify the fundraising for all Eastwood athletics.
“We know a lot of people are repeatedly asked to step up and donate, and that fact is not lost on us at all,” Wright said. “We appreciate that. If we grow this organization, the way we want to, we’d love to be coordinating a lot of those drives, so our coaches and student-athletes can do what they do best, and that’s hone their crafts, and not have to worry about raising money for uniforms and facilities. Once we get to the point where we’re able to take that worry away from them, that’s really our goal.”
The beginnings
The boosters were formed by Wright and former Eastwood head football coach Jerry Rutherford, who has since returned to the program as an assistant coach.
Wright and Rutherford originally met in December, 2019 to discuss the process of setting up the organization, but the COVID pandemic delayed the completion of the project by more than a year.
Wright, an attorney, is a 2005 graduate of Eastwood where he competed in football, soccer, and track and field. Wright and his wife, Liz, live in the Eastwood district with their 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
“Jerry’s been really passionate about getting the boosters started,” Wright said. “The Eastwood district has given so much to him and his family, and he’s been passionate about giving back and starting the boosters. It was really easy to feel his passion and build off of it.
“Even though it was just the two of us early on, it’s been awesome to see so many others who share our passion for Eastwood athletics,” Wright said. “We’ve gotten a lot of people involved, and that’s been showing up in the early stages of forming this.”
LUCKEY — Eastwood High School and Eastwood Middle School athletics soon will have an additional source of funding.
The formation of the Eastwood Athletic Boosters is almost complete.
The organization’s by-laws were adopted at its monthly meeting March 8, and its officers are expected to be elected in April. The club’s primary goal will be to raise money for the district’s 20 high school and 12 middle school athletic teams.
“We need it. Every school you look at has one,” said Jerry Rutherford, who is responsible for the forming of the organization.
Rutherford has been a teacher and coach at the high school since 1981. He was the varsity head football coach for 35 years, retiring after the 2016 season. He took a year off and then returned to the program as an assistant coach, serving under his son and head coach Craig Rutherford.
The organization’s other main objective is to promote and support Eastwood’s high school and middle school athletic teams.
“Every school you look at has a booster club,” said Rutherford, who teaches physical education at the high school. “There’s money that needs to be raised for the athletic program. I truly believe a school needs to have an athletic booster program. Everyone agrees with that.”
Financial support
Rutherford said the timing is perfect for Eastwood to start a booster club because the district has the people and the financial resources to be successful.
“Having a booster club is easier said than done,” Rutherford said. “You still have to find people who are willing to be the officers and are willing to fundraise and do the things that need to be done. Right now, Eastwood has the people who are willing and excited to go out and raise some funds for the athletic department. That’s the key.”
The athletic department is primarily funded by income from ticket and concession sales, and from teams working in the food tent at the Pemberville Free Fair, Rutherford said.
Rutherford said the additional funding from the boosters is even more important this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has dramatically reduced attendance.
“We need to understand this is a booster club that wants to help all athletics at Eastwood,” Rutherford said. “No sport or program has precedence over another. It’s for everyone. It’s to benefit all athletes at Eastwood High School and Eastwood Middle School, and help our students get the best things we can give them. Hopefully, no one will be in need of something that we can’t come up with.”
Even though the organization is still forming, Mick Foster raised more than $4,000 for the club last summer with a golf outing.
“That was huge, so we have some money in the account,” Rutherford said.
Reverse raffles are a popular fundraiser for booster clubs.
“There are numerous things a booster club can do to raise money,” Rutherford said. “Right now, we don’t have any plans. Once we get the by-laws adopted and board elected, the board can start planning on what it wants to do.”
The boosters also received approximately $28,000 from Andrew Hemminger and Brian Sabo, who recently held a fundraiser for the weight room.
How the money will be spent
Rutherford said the money raised by the organization can be used for both small and big projects, but the group has no specific plans as of now. The decisions will be made by the athletic director, and the booster club board and its members, Rutherford said, adding coaches can submit ideas for how the money can be spent.
“It’ll be a collaborative process between what the athletic director feels is needed at that time and what the board feels needs to be funded at that time,” Rutherford said. “Right now, we don’t have any plans on what we want to do. As we get going, I’m sure the board will come up with plans for what they want to do.”
Rutherford said one short-term priority is a membership drive for the 2021-22 school year after the by-laws are adopted and the board members are elected.
Rutherford said the formation of the Eastwood Athletic Boosters is not designed to replace any of the fundraisers already held by any of the school’s teams.
“Many of the programs have their own fundraising already, so we don’t want to step on anyone who has things established. That’s not our purpose,” Rutherford said. “We’re not looking to take over what anyone is already doing. The whole idea is to financially help the athletic department with fundraisers that aren’t being tapped right now.”
Board, meeting details
The boosters will meet the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Eagles Nest at the high school. There will be no meeting in July each year, and the annual meeting will be held in May of each year.
The board of directors will have seven members — president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and three at-large positions. All head coaches and assistant coaches are not allowed to be board members. Each position is a two-year term, but there are no term limits.
Persons interested in running for the board positions should send an email to eastwoodathleticboosters@gmail.com.
“We need people to step up, and those people are out there,” Rutherford said. “I believe there are people out there who are willing to step up and take on these leadership roles. That’s our next step.
“The people and the money are out there,” Rutherford added. “I truly believe people really want to help out and be involved. You just have to ask, whether it’s with their time or financially. This will end up being a strong organization.”
The organization already has a web site, and Facebook and Twitter accounts.
How it came about
Rutherford first started planning for the organization as soon as the 2019 football season ended. He met with 2005 Eastwood graduate and Perrysburg attorney Kyle Wright on Dec. 4, 2019 to discuss the process of setting up the organization.
Wright competed in football, soccer, and track and field at Eastwood.
“Kyle’s really been a big help, especially with his experience in non-profits, and helping us get tax-exempt status,” Rutherford said. “But there have been a lot of people who have helped get this project going.”
The boosters have 501(C)(3) status, making it tax exempt.
The formation of the club was delayed by the pandemic because Rutherford didn’t want to form the group through virtual meetings. Once the weight room club fundraiser was held late last year, Rutherford decided to move forward.
“I really wanted to get everything done last spring, but the pandemic shut everything down,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford said Eastwood originally had a booster club in the 1960s, but the organization was dissolved in the early 2000s. Several attempts to restart the club during the last decade were unsuccessful.
Eastwood had the Community Athletic Project which oversaw the building of an all-weather track at the football stadium, along with restrooms, lights, bleachers and a new press box. Once the project was completed, CAP was dissolved almost a decade ago.
Once the club’s by-laws and officers are completed, Rutherford said he’ll step away from the organization.
“My only goal was to get it started,” Rutherford said. “l’ll be involved as a community member, and I’ll help when they ask me, but this isn’t my group. I know there will be plenty of people who be taking on the leadership roles.”
And Rutherford is looking forward to seeing the result of the organization. “Everyone’s excited about it,” Rutherford said. “Everyone realizes a school like Eastwood needs to have an athletic booster club. This is a good time to get it going. It’s going to be successful.”