Dear Patrons and Supporters of Reitz Memorial Athletics, I am excited for the opportunity to communicate changes, enhancements, and aspirations within the RMHS Athletic Booster Club. This spring the Booster Club Executive Committee grew from a two-member board to an eleven-member board. This larger board, consisting of sub-committee heads, will allow us to expand our outreach and impact to our fans and student athletes. Our first course of action was to update the mission and vision to better reflect organizational focus. We understand that student involvement in extra-curriculars leads to a more balanced and valuable high school experience. Encouraging participation at all levels, supporting all sports, and nurturing the comradery created by student involvement are the goals of the RMHS Athletic Booster Club. Creating positive and energetic atmospheres for our athletic programs is accomplished through social events, scholarship opportunities, and financial equity. In addition to our annual Steak Night celebration, the Booster Club will host a quarterly social function highlighting our athletic teams. The purpose of these events will be to bring excitement and energy to the upcoming slate of sporting events. Please be sure to mark your calendars for Wednesday August 10th, 2022, at 6 pm, for our fall social event and Booster Club membership kickoff to be held at Venue 812! Annually, the Booster Club confers the $1,000 Don Ping Scholarship to one male and one female senior student athlete. Our 2022 winners were Averi Anslinger and Conner Agler, both of whom were multi-sport athletes and state champions on the field for Memorial while maintaining GPAs which placed them in the top 10 of their graduating class. With your help, it is our goal to enhance this award in future years to further assist in offsetting the rising cost of higher education. Additionally, we strive to incrementally reward excellence in athleticism by covering the cost of rings and signage for the IHSAA State Champions RMHS produces almost every single year. Finally, our third and perhaps most important goal to accomplish with the rebirth of the Booster Club: the elimination of the hidden cost of playing high school sports. We believe no student should be discouraged from playing sports at Memorial High School because the necessary expenses to participate represent an insurmountable financial burden to their family. Assisting student athletes with funds to apply towards practice gear or sport specific footwear can go a long way to making participation a reality for many students. Undoubtedly, some of our outstanding programs will continue the current team specific fundraising necessary to cover some extraordinary expenses such as travel to exclusive tournaments, but the cost to simply enter the field of play should not be of concern to our student athletes or our coaches who dedicate so much time and effort to Memorial. We can begin to accomplish these goals by funding an annual Booster Club operating budget of approximately $85,000. These funds will be governed by our members, specifically the Executive Committee which will be elected going forward each November. Please see the attached Booster Club information below to understand more about our new membership levels and how to participate in our Club! I hope my letter today empowers you to join our Booster Club. By sharing your time, talent, and treasure you nurture and grow the special legacy of Tiger Pride that has set us apart for nearly a century. I look forward to seeing you this season, Go Tigers! Joe Kiefer II, Class of 2007 Athletic Booster Club President, RMHS