Gerrard Diaz, gdiaz@wolfrivermedia.com
The Panther Pack Booster Club has been busy since it organized in the spring, and the group hopes to be even busier this winter.
The club, organized to promote and support Bowler High School athletics, sponsored the football team’s opening night tailgate party and held a punt-catching competition during the home football games this season, raising more than $300.
For the basketball season, the group’s major project is setting up area business sponsorships of home basketball games, and planning fan giveaways and activities during halftimes.
“The whole reason we organized the group was to bring in some school spirit,” said Diana Strassburg, one of the group’s members. “We want community support, community members to come out to these athletic events and support these student athletes.”
The group has already lined up support from many local businesses, doing the kind of legwork the players and coaches are not able to do on their own.
“We’re very excited that a good group of community members have stepped forward and asked to give back to the school and the community,” Bowler High School athletic director Jeff DePerry said. “They’ve been very active already, in just a small time.”
The group has also been pushing clothing supporting Bowler High School and Panthers athletics.
“They’ve been selling a lot of spirit wear, just getting our community outfitted in Bowler Panthers spirit wear,” ” DePerry said.
The first event of the winter sports season for the group will be at the first girls basketball home game. Draeger Chiropractic & Laser Center in Antigo donated eight prizes that will be given to fans using a punch board like on the television show “The Price is Right.” The group will draw names at halftime to pick the winners.
“Our club is not making any money on the sponsorships, but all funds are going back to the fans, whether it be spirit wear, business gift cards and other various prizes,” Strassburg said.
With the Panther Pack Booster Club just getting started, DePerry anticipates more good ideas are going to come from the group in the future.
“One of their goals down the road is being able to sponsor our athletic banquets,” DePerry said, citing the work the Shawano Athletic Booster Club and its three banquets a year. “Maybe even being able to provide scholarships to student athletes that are pursuing further educational goals.”
The group hopes it can help increase school spirit and maybe help recruiting.
“We want the student athletes to be proud of their school and the athletic team they play on,” Strassburg said. “We also want to encourage more students to try the different sports that our district offers.”