Say "NO" to Boosterthon Fun Runs in our Public Schools!

Attn Parents! Boosterthon Fun Run is the hot new fundraiser in our schools. You need to be aware that this company retains 48% of the profits in addition to taking up your child's class time. Protect your child's curriclum time and tell your school and PTA NO to Boosterthon! Fundraising activities should not take place during the school day. Save that for the weekend or after school.

It was the best fundraiser I could imagine. It took 2 weeks to do, did not require my kid to bother the neighbors for weeks, they did not have to deliver the crappy wrapping paper that no one wants, plus my daughter got some good exercise and still talks about how much fun it was. If you have fat kids, do not want them to learn athletic lessons and want a bunch of overpriced wrapping paper, then yes, ask your school to not have the Fun run. Who cares if they get 48%. Our school made 4 times as much as any other fundraiser. What are you, someone who has wealth or success envy?

I am opposed to the boosterthon. We just had ours here in Roswell. My daughter participated and I am proud of her and how she did. The school earned "over $2000" for this program. In a school of 865 that averages out to less than $3 per student. The amount of the pledges they were asking for, are beyond most people's ability to pay. We as a family did pledge money and will pay it. If the school directly asked parents for donations of $3 (or more) per child, the families would have spent less money, the school would get more, ALL of the money donated would have gone to the school not just 52 percent, and no classroom time would be lost. On the day of the boosterthon, my daughter drew pictures, participated in the run, then went back to her class and watched TV, then went home. I am very upset at this total waste of valuable school time. Other time was taken away from her during the preperation, and was spent on pep rallies, showing them how to get pledges, pledge drives, etc. For the amount of money that was actually brought in in exchange for the student's classroom time, I feel MY money and HER time was wasted. I will not be pledging anything for this event in the future, and will be in discussion with the school about my daughter's educational time being thrown away for so little return.

I am not from Union MS. I am from Roswell GA. I have no idea why that location was posted.

Boosterthon FunRun is the stupidest thing that has ever been thought of. I can understand the flat donation part but a pledge is just stupid. Children have to ask people to give up money to donate to the school,but all of the money dosent go to the schools. Boosterthon has puy preasure on my daughter because she thinks she will be the only kid in her class that dosent bring pledges. At her school there is a prize for the top class. But her class is in last place with $21 per lap. I am trying to explain to her that that is enough. But she feels bad because other classes have $84 per lap. I just think Bossterthon is a bad program to have at a school.

We just had a Boosterthon run in SC. The kids were coatless in 40 degree weather for 2 hours while the adults were on the sidelines bundled up in coats. Some kids had to run in the rain and were told they will have to complete the run tomorrow because they couldn't finish. Is it right to pimp out kids to make a little money for the school while an outside company pockets half of the profits?

Ahhhh, yes... fond memories of Boosterthon and the brainwashing of my kids. For two weeks, they cried at night because I wouldn't let them badger my neighbors anymore. They didn't get it... but Boosterthon sure did... they kept 48% of the money. Classroom disruption galore!!! They were not invited back to our school... way too many parent complaints. Bravo to all the parents that ask questions. Many parents don't realize the profit to the Boosterthon Company.

We loved it! Reading these negatives can be a little misleading, especially when people say 48% of the profit goes to Booster. That is not true. Out of Booster's 48%, ALL expenses are paid--Tshirts, prizes, other incentives, and staff costs. Boosterthon assumes all the risks, and pays out their part before they ever arrive at the school. So the school's take is all profit, and Booster has to pay for everything out of their half. We know a school in the area that did Booster one year and then had a direct campaign the next year due to parent complaints. They then switched back because the results went from $35,000 with Booster to $6,000 on their own.
Plus my kids loved it! The ran over two miles! They continue to play Booster guys in our yard with the neighbors! My son wants me to ask the Booster team to come to his birthday party. I would PAY them to be such positive role models for my kids even if they did not raise so much money for our school. Booster Rocks! Way to go Jumpin Jon, Super Sam, and Jammin Jacobs!

It's call GREED! And they are "pimping out" your child to get the 40-50% of your money. Wake up people!

Dad of 4 in Birmingham wrote:

Boosterthon assumes all the risks, and pays out their part before they ever arrive at the school.

You don't quite have all the facts straight or you are choosing to not present them correctly. Boosterathon has no risk like you claim. They require the school, or PTA, to pay 2k up front to cover the expenses you spoke of. Then when all is finished they still take 48% of the money. Minus the 2k deposit of course, but they have no risk like you claim.

The truth is they really don't teach anything healthy. There is nothing healthy about walking around in a circle for a day or being told to "eat right". That's like thinking kids will learn math if we yell, "Numbers are good!" What Boosterathon did was to turn our children into a money making machine. Kids were organized to sit and make cold calls as a way to raise money. They put adults in our classrooms just to pressure the kids and ask them how many pledges they were able to get. They had the school give homework credit to students who were able to raise pledges or brought back pledge forms signed to prove parents saw them.

This is nothing short of wrong and it doesn't belong in our schools!

My son does not have homework for the rest of the year because his class collected their money goal for funrun pledges. What kind of crap is that? What's next? No homework for 2 months...let's get those children ready for the real world. Should I home school to make sure he gets a proper education?

This company is NOTHING short of modern day THUGS in flashy attire...and they are DANGEROUS pressuring the school and their innocent children to raise money by husseling EVERYONE FOR MONEY for USELESS prizes in order to be IMPORTANT...WAKE-UP PEOPLE!

If you do not support Boosterthon in your PTA affiliated Public School, I would highly recommend you call your state PTA office to diplomatically but firmly share your concerns. PTA bylaws are to be followed so children are not used and exploited. Also, contact your school officials/School Board so District fundraising guidlines can be established if they don't already exist. Many parents have concerns about the high pressure techniques, prize distribution in the classrooms, use of curriculum time for fundraising activities, and the unpublished 48% cut that this company takes. In these economic times we must make responsible choices when making donations. Please support your child's school and make your money go farther - make a generous donation to your school at the beginning of the year. They will get to keep 100% of your donation.
If your school fails to recognize Boosterthon is not in the best interest of all children, perhaps you will want to boycott it.

How do you change location on this topix? Topix itself is a real pain in the behind. Unregulated, annonymously written blogosphere can be really dangerous. Aren't the slandering laws governing the writings on these blogs? What if you destroy someone's life or business by slandering them on here?

It's not slander if it is true.

Dad of 4 in Birmingham wrote:

We loved it! Reading these negatives can be a little misleading, especially when people say 48% of the profit goes to Booster. That is not true. Out of Booster's 48%, ALL expenses are paid--Tshirts, prizes, other incentives, and staff costs. Boosterthon assumes all the risks, and pays out their part before they ever arrive at the school. So the school's take is all profit, and Booster has to pay for everything out of their half. We know a school in the area that did Booster one year and then had a direct campaign the next year due to parent complaints. They then switched back because the results went from $35,000 with Booster to $6,000 on their own.
Plus my kids loved it! The ran over two miles! They continue to play Booster guys in our yard with the neighbors! My son wants me to ask the Booster team to come to his birthday party. I would PAY them to be such positive role models for my kids even if they did not raise so much money for our school. Booster Rocks! Way to go Jumpin Jon, Super Sam, and Jammin Jacobs!

Sorry - but our kids can do without the shirts and the prizes!

Yes Jim - slander laws apply to bloggers. A quick news search will provide stories where bloggers have lost their homes defending (and losing) lawsuits. However, as mom says above - a good case can be made if you state truthful facts or clearly state that it is your opinion.
So I hope these people are prepared to back up the 48 percent profit claim.

If you do not want your child to participate in Boosterthon, just send a note in to your school, something along the lines of: My child does not have permission to participate in any of the Boosterthon fund-raiser presentations or activities. Please enroll him in alternative educational activities. Afterall, Boosterthon is not a core educational program, but an optional PTA fundraiser.

Why don't you silly parents send your kids to charter schools where they won't be bothered by this stupid public school nonsense? What do they do with the money, send the teachers on a cruise?

And there you stupid public school parents are, year after year sending your kid to the same stupid ass public school.

My charter school has an annual fund drive. I know what the funds are used for. I see the results. And after the school quietly sends a letter home in my child's backpack I will gladly send them a modest donation. No class time is used up, no child in running in the rain and they don't barter their homework for some silly meaningless fund raiser.