Organization has invested $130,000 over past 3 years
With fall sports teams now busy preparing for the season ahead, the Aurora Booster Club is tuning up its game as well with a membership drive designed to invite more people to support the Huskies in various ways both on and off the field.
Steve Shannon, who will serve this year as the Booster Club president, said he is excited about many of the investments being made on behalf of various Husky programs and wants the community to be aware of the mission.
“We’re just trying to get the message out there that we would love for everyone in the community to be a part of the Booster Club,” Shannon said. “I think in the past they’ve done a tremendous job and we’re just trying to build on what they’ve done as far as raising money for the kids and for the athletic programs.”
One of Shannon’s objectives as president is to educate the community about the organization’s mission as well as how funds raised are being used to support student-athletes in ways that provides relief for the district.
Shannon reported that the Aurora Booster Club has invested more than $129,000 since 2023 in a wide variety of programs and equipment, all designed to help build Aurora Huskies athletic programs into champions.
“So for example one of the things that we’re investing in is Hudl (a software program used by coaches and staff for player and team development, which also provides a platform to stream games online) and I’m sure a lot of people don’t know that,” he said. “Hudl allows grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles that aren’t in the community to be able to see their student-athletes participate.”
The updated Hudl subscription, he noted, not only allows fans and family members to watch the games from anywhere, as it also gives athletes exposure to college coaches and assists coaches in their efforts to improve performance.
“Hudl is one of the most valuable long-term investments the Aurora Huskies Booster Club makes,” Shannon said.
Nearly $40,000 has been invested as part of the overall total to enhance student-athlete safety, he added. The list includes things like training supplies, AT Genius software, gym wall mats, football slide pad covers, wrestling headgear, cross country leg compression systems and all-weather gear for the cheerleaders.
“When it comes to student safety, some of the extra athletic training equipment that Jordan (Stithem) is using, we try to help with things like that,” he said. “The Booster Club is kind of helping to offset some of the costs for some of those things, like with concussion protocols and things like that, and then really just anything that we can do to help the teams in general.
“For example, the track program needed a new pole vault pit so the Booster Club purchased that, and this year the volleyball team will have brand new nets and standards,” he added. “Our goal is to help offset and supplement what’s going on without using district funds. That’s what we’ve raised money for the past three years.”
Shannon also noted that team development is one of the areas receiving Booster Club funding for items such as new weight room technology, volleyball catching and setting equipment, football and track tables, wrestling MatBoss software and GameTime, which involves pre-game music that also helps promote local businesses.
“Every rep, every practice, team development begins with the resources your generous support to the Booster Club provides,” he said.
Growing the numbers
In hopes of expanding the Booster Club’s impact, Shannon said his goal is to boost membership from around 70 to 300 or more.
“I set a lofty goal with as many families and businesses as possible and if we could have 300 members that would be amazing,” he said. “I think if everybody can do a little, we can do quite a bit for the teams and for the athletes here in Aurora.”
Shannon noted that various levels of support membership are available to individuals, ranging from $50 to $1,000, while business memberships range from $500 to $1,500.
“We’re looking to kind of move the needle in how do we take a community that gets asked a lot for support, and how can we be a little more thoughtful in ways of doing it,” he said. “That’s what my goal is to try to work with the business community moving forward. Sometimes it feels like there is a lot of asking without really communicating, explaining and understanding of what’s going into it.”
Shannon said one of the changes being made this year is revising the concept of Booster Club membership.
“I think the term membership makes people believe that they have to do something, so the term we’re going to be using is supporters,” he explained. “We just want people to be supporters of the Booster Club, whether they’re able to do that physically, or with their time, effort, money or however they want to offer support. From the elementary level all the way up to high school, however they can help support our kids and the athletic programs. We just want to allow people to figure out whatever their support level is and then us being able to take that money and directly put it right back into the athletes and into the programs.”
For more information about the Aurora Huskies Booster Club, scan the QR code at left.