• Trouble logging in? Send us a message with your username and/or email address for help.
New posts

wilcogal1974

Beach Lover
Sep 13, 2009
74
21
Monday afternoon I picked up my child from school and he was very excited and it wasn?t because it was the first day back from spring break. I am sure most parents on this particular Monday experienced the same phenomena called Boosterthon. I knew it the second my child opened his backpack and I saw the slickly done brochures. I am familiar with Boosterthon not because I had a child enrolled in Van R. Butler last year but because I was a former teacher there. I was leery of Boosterthon at the time but I didn?t speak my mind due to the fear of losing my job. Now I don?t have to worry about that because I was not hired back for this year. I am not writing this because I am bitter. I am writing this out of concern for my child and the other students at Butler. I have seen how this program works first hand and I have seen how it uses peer pressure and consumerism to make money for their company. Boosterthon takes 48% of all the money you donate to the fun run. They will come into your student?s classroom everyday and hand out prizes to the students who have gotten sponsors, while the other students sit and watch. I have seen the hurt feelings first hand of the students who did not get prizes. Boosterthon also encourages teachers to give special incentives to students who get sponsors. For example some students might get free time in class because they were able to get sponsors while the other students continue with their normal routine. The Boosterthon team is blatantly displaying the ?haves? and ?have nots? in the classroom. Is this really the kind of environment you want to subject your children to. In the outside world this would be considered a pyramid scheme. The higher you get on the pyramid the more prizes you receive. I realize that fund raising is a necessity in schools and Butler has some good fundraisers like Breakfast with Santa. They might not make as much money as they do with Boosterthon but at least all the money stays locally and you actually get something for your donation such as a picture with Santa and breakfast. Boosterthon does not care about our school. They will move and run the same pyramid scheme at the next participating school. They are all about turning your school and children into a money making machine for themselves and giving your school a cut of it. I realize that fund raising is an unfortunate reality of the public school system but it should be our job as parents to help fund raising and not the responsibility of the students to make money for a company that is taking a cut of the profits. I suggest bypassing Boosterthon all together and donating straight to the school so they get 100% of the money. I am aware that many of you might not agree with me on this subject but I hope I have at least given you a little more information about Boosterthon so you can make your own choice. I am not opposed to The Fun Run and Boosterthon handing out their material like every other fund raising company but I am opposed to our children being subject to a sales pitch everyday in their classroom. If you are concerned about Boosterthon like I am please contact Tammy Smith at 622-5040 or email her at smitht@walton.k12.fl.us
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
We have been against these type of fundraisers for years. Good for you to speak up- the "prize based" fundraisers with children are ridiculous, the prizes are crap, feelings get hurt. Many times we have just made a cash donation, so the school can keep all the money.

When my oldest was in 2nd grade, we made a good size donation, enough that it shot him to the top of the heap in terms of money raised. We explained to him that this was the best way for the school to benefit. But because he didn't sell the damn wrapping paper to raise the money, he didn't get to go on the winning limo ride (he didn't care, but other kids were despondent.)

When your kid comes home with the fundraising packet, chuck it in the garbage and write a check for the same amount you would have spent on cheap wrapping paper, bad chocolate, cookie dough you can't store because your freezer is full, and silly gifty items that just get thrown away anyway. Or buy some supplies for your kid's teacher. Times are tight for everyone now- your $10 or $25 dollars will go a lot further if the fundraising company does not take a cut.

IMO the best school fundraiser in the area is South Walton Montessori's Christmas tree and wreath sale.
 

mdd88jd

Beach Lover
May 26, 2008
155
210
Monday afternoon I picked up my child from school and he was very excited and it wasn?t because it was the first day back from spring break. I am sure most parents on this particular Monday experienced the same phenomena called Boosterthon. I knew it the second my child opened his backpack and I saw the slickly done brochures. I am familiar with Boosterthon not because I had a child enrolled in Van R. Butler last year but because I was a former teacher there. I was leery of Boosterthon at the time but I didn?t speak my mind due to the fear of losing my job. Now I don?t have to worry about that because I was not hired back for this year. I am not writing this because I am bitter. I am writing this out of concern for my child and the other students at Butler. I have seen how this program works first hand and I have seen how it uses peer pressure and consumerism to make money for their company. Boosterthon takes 48% of all the money you donate to the fun run. They will come into your student?s classroom everyday and hand out prizes to the students who have gotten sponsors, while the other students sit and watch. I have seen the hurt feelings first hand of the students who did not get prizes. Boosterthon also encourages teachers to give special incentives to students who get sponsors. For example some students might get free time in class because they were able to get sponsors while the other students continue with their normal routine. The Boosterthon team is blatantly displaying the ?haves? and ?have nots? in the classroom. Is this really the kind of environment you want to subject your children to. In the outside world this would be considered a pyramid scheme. The higher you get on the pyramid the more prizes you receive. I realize that fund raising is a necessity in schools and Butler has some good fundraisers like Breakfast with Santa. They might not make as much money as they do with Boosterthon but at least all the money stays locally and you actually get something for your donation such as a picture with Santa and breakfast. Boosterthon does not care about our school. They will move and run the same pyramid scheme at the next participating school. They are all about turning your school and children into a money making machine for themselves and giving your school a cut of it. I realize that fund raising is an unfortunate reality of the public school system but it should be our job as parents to help fund raising and not the responsibility of the students to make money for a company that is taking a cut of the profits. I suggest bypassing Boosterthon all together and donating straight to the school so they get 100% of the money. I am aware that many of you might not agree with me on this subject but I hope I have at least given you a little more information about Boosterthon so you can make your own choice. I am not opposed to The Fun Run and Boosterthon handing out their material like every other fund raising company but I am opposed to our children being subject to a sales pitch everyday in their classroom. If you are concerned about Boosterthon like I am please contact Tammy Smith at 622-5040 or email her at smitht@walton.k12.fl.us

Thanks for the information. I am checking into this....I am not a big fan of fundraisers in any event.

Mark.
 

rblessed1031

Beach Lover
Jul 14, 2008
156
130
Dune Allen
I thought I was the only one who was leery. I read through all of the material and it concerned me, because it didn't have a breakdown of what the money was for, who would be accountable for it or any information that normally goes along with a fund raiser. My kids asked for $10/lap and I said how about a quarter a lap after they said they would be doing 25-35 laps. Apparently, change is not welcome.

I am all for supporting our schools and helping to fund projects, when we have an idea of what the target amount is and what is for. Just handing over cash, I have a problem with. There needs to be an accountability. I would think that the PTA(O) would be able to come up with a similar fund raiser where all kids who participate are put in a drawing to win prizes and we keep 100% of the funds.

JMHO
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
Once you sit down and do the math to find out what the schools/event receive, you realize what a scam these are.

If you simply write a check for the same amount as the crap they are selling, it is typically equal to you buying 5x that amount of merchandise.

I understand the sentiment about not just handing kids money, but I don't think it's a bad thing when I occasionally give them $20 so they can spend hours practicing and participating in something and tell them "I am doing this because I am proud of you for participating in x,y,z and want to support you and your team."

P.S. Not to be a Scrooge, but their reward/prize is supposed to be that our donations allow them to participate in an extracurricular or get something for their classroom that they an share, not individual prizes that they take up class time handing out and that not everyone gets.
 
Last edited:

Matt J

SWGB
May 9, 2007
24,646
9,496
So they're not even selling anything, but providing a service? Sounds like a scamathon to me.
 

wilcogal1974

Beach Lover
Sep 13, 2009
74
21
Not to mention that the Boosterthon workers are in our children's classrooms and helping with car pickup and they have no background checks or finger prints on file with the county or Van R. Butler Elementary.
 

wilcogal1974

Beach Lover
Sep 13, 2009
74
21

This was the case last year. Unless Butler has changed their rules with this company, these people do not have background checks nor fingerprints on file. Which is why they have to be escorted by school employees. The Boosterthon cult does not give me a warm fuzzy.
 
New posts


Sign Up for SoWal Newsletter