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SVHS Boosters Club supports all extra-curricular activities

On behalf of the entire board of the Sonoma Valley High School Boosters Club, we wish a fond farewell to music director Barbara McElroy and salute her for her 36 years of tireless service to Sonoma's youth and her constant source of musical inspiration for all students. 

The May 6 Index-Tribune article about Mrs. McElroy ("McElroy Puts Away Conductor's Baton") highlighted her contributions and accomplishments and focused on the funding issues the music department has faced over the years. In noting the funding assistance she received from the community and, in particular, from Sonoma Jazz Plus, it is unfortunate that Mrs. McElroy forgot to mention the assistance the music program has received from the Boosters Club. 

Over the last 10 years the Boosters Club has donated more than $50,000 to the SVHS music program alone. The Booster's Club doesn't necessarily need recognition or thanks, we do what we do and raise the money we raise to support our students. 

What we do need, however, is an opportunity to spread the word about the support the Boosters Club provides to all extra-curricular activities at SVHS. Too often, parents and community members have the misconception that the Boosters Club only supports sports (or, I have even heard, only football). 

In this day of limited funding for schools across California, the SVHS Boosters Club has provided critical financial support to administrative needs and all extra-curricular activities at SVHS. 

Not only do the Boosters support sports, we also support the following: debate/forensics, choir/band, The Dragon's Tale newspaper, El Padre yearbook, Minds literary magazine, film and video production, agriculture, the No-Name Cafe, grad night, drama, leadership, cheerleading, sports trainers, plus every sport and intramural team at the high school. 

Each year, the Boosters Club provides more than $160,000 of support to these programs, all of which comes from donations and fundraisers. We are an entirely volunteer organization and 100 percent of the money we raise goes directly to support the students at SVHS. 

Again, we hoped for a mention in the article about Mrs. McElroy only to draw attention to the array of programs we support. We welcome and receive support and donations from parents and the entire community. We are the village, they are our children.

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Wendy Swanson is co-president of the SVHS Booster Club.