Organizers of the upcoming Huskie Booster Club ball want the community to know the event is open to all.
Marc Mosher, co-president of the booster club that supports Oak Park and River Forest High School, said the annual ball is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave. in Oak Park.
Featuring a silent auction and raffle items like an outdoor bar built by an OPRF teacher, the event is the booster club’s only fundraiser for the year. It’s open not just to parents of children currently or formerly at the high school, but to anyone in the community, Mosher said.
Eric Neville, appropriations chairman for the club, said the not-for-profit group allocates about $50,000 each year for various school-related requests. Recent purchases include new scoreboards for baseball and softball fields, LED lighting for the Little Theatre and marching band equipment.
“We tend to fund the nice-to-have items for the school,” Mosher said. “It’s our effort to make their experience at the school more enjoyable.”
For the 2016-17 school year, Mosher said 45 percent of funds went to the arts, 33 percent to athletics, 12 percent to activities and 10 percent for academics.
“We do strive to do an equitable funding among the four areas,” Neville said.
Last year, the club received more than $100,000 in requests, Neville said. In recent years, he said they’ve seen more requests for high-resolution cameras and video equipment, as athletic teams record both games and practices and analyze footage.
Neville pointed out that high-profile additions like the new baseball and softball scoreboards, which mention the booster club on them, probably lead many people to assume the club focuses solely on athletics.
“That’s probably a large part of the disconnect,” Neville said.
Although not as visible, the club also has funded a specific type of freezer needed by the biology department, and microphones for the spoken word club. The booster club also provided $10,000 to help get the school’s robotics club off the ground.
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The booster ball will feature local band Axes of Evil, which Mosher said will be a big draw for the event. Tickets for the booster ball are $85 in advance or $100 at the door. Those who cannot attend may still purchase raffle tickets.
For more information, visit www.huskieboosterclub.org.
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.