It takes a village to provide a safe, healthy environment for children. A place where children are given the security and challenges they need to develop and flourish, and to be able to realize their hopes and dreams.

One way that our village comes together to make this a reality is through our involvement in education. An education includes many parts that intertwine to help our kids make the most out of the years that they are learning, and absorbing the skills that will carry them onto successful lives.

It’s not just about reading and writing and arithmetic. It’s about exploring avenues to find amazing interests, talents and opportunities. Whether it’s music, or drama, or science, or athletics, the spark and discovery often comes to the forefront when the challenges and chances are found under the education umbrella. Every parent, grandparent, aunt and uncle (the list goes on and on) wants to see the kids in their lives - the kids they love and cherish - flourish.

We are not all teachers, well not in the truest sense of the definition when it comes to school. But we, as the village, have the opportunity to contribute to not only the horizon expansion for our kids, but for our village as well. We can make a difference in those opportunities for ALL of the kids in our village, by joining the Booster Club!

The Boosters for our Gilpin Eagles have some pretty deep roots. Back in the 1980s, before gaming (some of us remember that!), a group of family members came together to work to find ways to help fund things like athletics, drama and music. These dedicated folks gave up nights and weekends to volunteer their time and efforts to raise money to fund events like drama competitions, music events, and even trips for students to expand their horizons. It wasn’t only parents (and other family folks) who made this sacrifice. The faculty did too – teachers and staff who were willing to add to their already full plates to work towards making even more doors open for the kids that were such a big part of their world.

Long-time Booster Club champion Ardetta Robertson (oh yes, we ALL know her and love her fabulous baked goods!) has some very fond memories of those early years. “We had so much fun back then!” she recalled with a smile. “The Broncos were everyone’s favorite team, and our concession booths were under the south stands of the old Mile High Stadium. We had two – one for food and one for beer.”

Ardetta recalls special memories of the community coming together to work as a village to make special, fun things happen for our kids. “John Kittridge was manning the grill every game, and Rose Hosmer was always there, too!”, she noted. “Paul and Judy Coleman were heavily involved, as was Diane Rittenhouse.”

Some of the things Boosters funded included uniforms for the entire marching band, uniforms for the sports teams, camp opportunities, scholarships, and even trips abroad for the kids. The efforts and dedication of the Booster Club even helped to purchase hall lockers for the high school. The early focus of the Booster Club was to expand the focus beyond just athletics – and they did. The fun expanded to include events like Casino Night and After Prom. “The Booster Club fills the void between what the school provides and what the kids need!” What a great reminder.

It is likely that any one of us who has had a teenager in the last 20 years attending school in Gilpin County knows Jennifer Gillette. Her investment in our kids has extended beyond being a teacher in the classroom. For years she made sure that the concession stand in the school was stocked and ran. Ms. Gillette (as the kids have always known her) watched as the Boosters expanded their reach to include things like awards banquets, dances for the middle schoolers, senior night and graduation celebrations.

“When the Booster Club took over the concessions at the school they totally rocked it!” she said with a smile. “They made it so welcoming to the visiting teams and their families. The Booster Club makes the school a community!”

Nancy Larson, another well-known member of our community, watched her two kids grow up in this village. Nancy joined the Boosters around 2005, and recalls with a laugh sitting on the floor of the superintendent’s office during one of the many meetings she attended. Nancy was instrumental in dragging the Club into the information age – setting up things like the King Soopers donation program and many spreadsheets to track it all. Nancy’s better half, Jim, took over the grilling responsibilities and served up many burgers and hotdogs during their time with the Club. During Nancy’s tenure, she found great satisfaction in helping to find new, different and fun things for the kids to do outside of the school week. Outdoor programs and trips were funded with profits made by the Boosters.

During her many years of involvement, Nancy observed repeatedly that the efforts of the many volunteers expanded the unity beyond the core family. Many times, parents would find less time in their busy daily lives to volunteer, however so many came back into the fold. Michelle Hernandez, another long-time local, was one of those that kept coming back. “Michelle recruited me!” Nancy added. And even though Michelle’s children have all graduated, it’s not unusual to see her smiling face at events even today. She is helping and being part of the village. Nancy pointed out, “Being in Boosters helps you get to know the rest of the kids!”

Jack and Lisa Kennedy raised their brood in this village as well. Lisa and Jack started out as occasional volunteers, with Lisa eventually becoming a board member that was heavily involved (including a stint as vice-president for eight years). Jack became the grill master, and they did this while watching five of their kids progress to graduation from Gilpin.

“It is such a great way to help ALL of the kids,” Lisa said. The money brought in by Boosters funded things like prom tickets. Getting the kids actually involved in the operation of the concession stands really gives them life experience with things like handling money and managing inventory.” During the next decade, the give-back expanded to include things like banquets for the middle schoolers. “It’s a great way to watch all of the kids grow up – not just your own,” she noted. And Jack reminded us why we do this, “It’s ALL for the kids!”

Tami Velasquez is the current club president, and readily admits that she was one of those parents that really didn’t pay a lot of attention to the Booster Club, or what all they did for the kids and the community. When she was approached by out-going president Michelle Hernandez, it was with a plea to help a worthwhile group that was in dire straits. Membership had fallen off dramatically, the effects of the pandemic had put a serious dent in the finances of the club, and the toll of it all was pushing the handful of volunteers who were left to the brink.

“It was a sad situation, and after hearing what the direction of the club’s fate was heading, I jumped in with both feet!” she said with a chuckle. “I realized I was being handed a sterling opportunity to meet other parents and members of the community, and also to bring the club back to its glory and original intent – to nurture the kids… our future leaders.”

Tami had a huge task ahead of her. One of the problems the club was dealing with was trying to figure out how to use technology to its advantage. “Many people don’t understand how to do things like build and maintain a website, how to use social media, or being able to use technology to accept credit cards at the concession stand. We needed to find volunteers that had those skill sets who were willing to donate their time and able to make these important avenues available and functional for the club.”

Recruiting new volunteers – members – was Tami’s first endeavor. “I used a project-plan approach,” she noted. “First, I had to get the input by listening to current members to get their ideas for improvements, and then we had to figure out how to implement them. I knew I had to dispel the fear of change and generate forward momentum working together. Clear communication was essential during that time. We had to make sure that folks were not only comfortable bringing new ideas to the table, we also had to ensure that everyone felt their contributions were valuable and appreciated as we moved the club forward.”

Under Tami’s leadership, things started to rapidly change. The menu offerings at the concession stand were analyzed and changed to be more customer-focused. The Eaglewear inventory was scrutinized and modified to also be more in line with what sold well. And, best of all – membership started to grow!

“My favorite question became WHY”, she laughed. “Why are we doing this? Why aren’t we doing that?” She also focused on giving the club a fresh, new public face. The club can now be found active on Facebook and Instagram, and a website is in the works. Credit cards are now accepted at the concession stand. Eagle-wear can be purchased online. “By not working in a vacuum, we were able to build momentum and strengthen the bonds of the entire volunteer team.” The excitement of that momentum began to spread, and Tami found more and more folks eager to be a part of the team.

Deputy Melissa Sternlicht was one that stepped up. As the School Resource Officer, she was seeing firsthand the importance of the Booster Club and willingly added volunteering to her already-busy schedule. “It is so apparent that all of the wonderful things Boosters do is filling a crucial role in the lives of the kids,” she noted. “I also saw that membership seemed to be lagging. I didn’t see as many kids involved, either, and I knew that I could help out.” When asked to serve as Vice President, Melissa happily stepped into the role. “The kids, all of the kids, mean so much to me,” she smiled.

Tami’s next goal is to continue to grow the membership. Using the technology tools that are being implemented, her hope is that awareness will be greatly increased. “Knowledge campaigns will target recruiting more volunteers,” she explained. “We need many volunteers to help spread the load so we can ensure that no one suffers from burn-out. Volunteering should be a pleasure, not a burden.” The Club wants to put particular focus on the middle-schoolers and their families, a group that has historically not been adequately recognized. “We need to dispel the myth that Booster Club is only for high school kids – we should start nurturing these kids earlier. They are our future leaders!”

School Board President Joe Marr (who has watched not only his children, but also his grandchildren grow, thrive and graduate from Gilpin) truly summed it up. “I am so thankful for the contributions of the Booster Club, and the volunteers, for the wonderful things they have done and continue to do for our kids,” he noted. “These are the people who keep on going – even when they are out of gas!”

There’s no better time than now to join the Booster Club. The club is involved in a myriad of events during the entire school year, including sports, drama, and academics. Volunteers can be involved in one event or many events. Having a current student enrolled in the school is not a requirement (perfect for all of us grandparents and other extended family members). The personal rewards of being involved in such a community – village – focused environment are immeasurable.

Our kids truly are our future, and what better way than Booster Club to make our village a success?

For more information, reach out to Tami Velasquez at gilpinboosters@gmail.com.

SOAR LIKE AN EAGLE!