By Dave Dyer

Staff Writer

Athletic booster clubs are beginning to feel the pinch of a tight economy.

“I hope we stay where we have been,” said Scarborough Football Booster President Marty Brown. “We just hope for the best, but expect the worst.”

Scarborough Football Boosters are hosting an upcoming golf tournament at Riverside Municipal Golf Course in Portland. He said in light of the economy, to make the tournament more enticing for participants the entry fee for the tournament was reduced from $125 to $100. Brown said lunch and dinner is included in the fee.

Brown said corporate sponsors who donate between $500 to $1,000 to the program will be advertised, first year the boosters will do so for the tournament. 

He said the boosters have had “very loyal” corporate sponsors who have regularly contributed every year, but is worried there might be a drop in sponsorship for the ucoming football season.

“We’re kind of bracing ourselves for a 20 percent loss (in corporate sponsorship), but its not really expected,” Brown said.

Brown said the football boosters contribute to the high school and middle school football programs, as well as occasionally helping the Scarborough youth football program. He said last season the boosters raised money for 15 new football helmets, new home jerseys for the middle school program and new jerseys for the youth program.

This year, Brown said the boosters hope to raise funds for 15 more helmets, new jerseys for the middle school, new footballs, equipment refurbishing and portable headsets for the varsity coaching staff. 

Brown said the expected costs of the equipment will be $5,500.

Dennis Leighton of the Scarborough Boys’ Hockey Boosters said hockey booster fundraisers contribute to ice time and league fees for the high school. Salaries of the team’s assistant coaches and funding for the middle school hockey program, which are not included in the school budget, are also paid by boosters. Leighton said the hockey boosters are different from other town athletic boosters because of the amount of money the group needs to raise.

Boys’ Hockey Booster President Nancy Ravin said it costs $10,000 per season to fund the middle school program and between $20,000 to $25,000 for ice time for the high school program.

Ravin said the boosters raise money for the program on a weekly basis by working at the John Roberts Road Bingo Hall in South Portland every Thursday evening. She said booster members help set up and clean up the bingo hall, as well as call the bingo numbers and are paid a flat fee each week for their work. Ravin said by working the bingo hall throughout the year, the club makes enough money for the ice time.

Ravin said the team also does a yearly bottle drive after the Fourth of July. 

Leighton said the current economy could have an impact on the booster’s yearly golf tournament, which is hosted in October and involves advertising from corporate sponsors, but he said as of now funding has remained the same and he will not know about sponsorship for the golf tournament until later in the year.

Leighton, a former school board member, said the program has not made any progress in funding from the school budget, as he said textbooks will always be picked before funding ice time.

“To say I’m happy, I’m happy it’s not less [funding for hockey]” he said.

Ravin said donations for booster clubs are down and the problem with corporate sponsors is booster clubs go to many of the same businesses to ask for money. She said they may “pick and choose” who they give money to now because of the economy.

Janice Cyr, who is part of the Wrestling Booster Club, said wrestling is one of the cheaper sports to fund, as the most expensive pieces of equipment are wrestling mats, but said one of the problems of fundraising is trying to come up with a new idea to bring in money, as she said fundraising cannot happen by going to the same neighborhoods asking for money. 

Cyr said some ways the booster club has raised money was having a grandmother of one of the wrestlers knit Scarborough High School winter hats and sell them, which Cyr said raised several hundred dollars. The club also raises money by hosting a wrestling tournament at the high school during the season.

Cyr said the school district does contribute money to the program and said the athletic department has been “tremendously supportive” of the booster club.

She said it has been difficult to receive funding from businesses, as owners “tense up” when they think about donating money to programs because of the economy.

Cyr said the boosters have raised money for uniforms and warm-ups for the team and the long-term goal would be to buy a new wrestling mat, as the team now has a new mat and a 25-year old mat. She said most teams usually have three new mats available. She said another long-term goal is to fund a youth wrestling program.

Robyn Carrier, who is a member of the Softball Booster Club, said the team is planning a trip to Florida for training during spring vacation. She said the club has not had problems raising funds, as the players will be responsible paying for plane tickets and passes to Disney World.