A newly-formed booster club to support Riverhead Central School District’s sports teams is holding its inaugural fundraiser on Friday.
The Riverhead Athletic Club, a new booster club formed by parents, is hosting a family mini-golf fundraiser from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Sandy Falls, the mini-golf course at Sandy Pond Links in Riverhead. In addition to mini-golf, there will be raffles and other activities for kids, as well as food and club merchandise available for purchase.
You can register for the mini golf fundraiser by completing this Google Form.
Formed just a few months ago by the parents of student-athletes, the Riverhead Athletic Club’s goal is to support and celebrate sports and athletes in the Riverhead community, according to Quinn Alexander, its president.
“There are plenty of sports that are fortunate enough to have booster clubs that have been very supportive of their goals and aspirations, and I suspect that that’s probably why some of those programs have done well traditionally,” Alexander said. “But there are others that don’t have a firmly established booster club to support them.”
“I’ve already been in talks with a few coaches and parents who need as much support as possible, because they don’t have those resources,” she said.
Alexander, who is a teacher and coach in the Mount Sinai School District, said generalized booster clubs are key not just for retaining student-athletes, but for increasing participation in different sports programs.
“We have a very vibrant community. There’s a tremendous amount of talent, and that’s something that we want to foster, but that doesn’t start without participation and exposure,” she said, adding that, more often, students are choosing to participate in a single sport rather than multiple.
One of the club’s long-term goals is creating a summer camp that exposes kids to a variety of sports, Alexander said.
Alexander said she pitched the idea for the club to school board trustee Erica Murphy — now the club’s vice president — who brought the idea to district administration.
“I think it’s wonderful and needed,” said Brian Sacks, the school district’s athletic director. “I think the team booster clubs that we have do a phenomenal job with our individual teams, but I do think we need a singular entity to bring everybody together.”
“I just look forward to seeing what they do and then what they can bring to us,” Sacks added.
The club is currently organizing its second fundraiser — a “fun run” event for younger students on school district property on June 21. Starting at the high school parking lot, children will make their way around the district’s campuses participating in different sports activities, Alexander said.
“It’s a great opportunity for the community to come out and for young ones to see what Riverhead offers athletically,” she added.
Community members can get involved in Riverhead Athletic Club by visiting the organization’s website and can email Riverheadathleticclub@gmail.com to learn more about volunteer opportunities. Annual memberships to the club for families are $20 and provide discounts at events, according to its website.
Local businesses have shown their support by donating raffle prizes. Brian Stark, one of the owners of Sandy Pond Links, donated use of the mini-golf course so the Riverhead Athletic Club can receive all the proceeds from Friday’s event, Alexander said.
“It really is just incredible,” Alexander said. “And to know that the community is behind something that will, in the long run, do nothing but benefit the community and the kids — it’s just beyond heartwarming.”
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