A New Boost for Canby Athletics

By Peter Zinn, for The Canby Chronicle

Canby community members are working to create a new booster club aimed at bringing support for the high school’s athletic programs under one roof. Athletic participation fees for students have increased this year to $175. While there isn’t an individual cap, there is a family cap of $875.

Phil Schnabel, a former athlete himself, is proposing the development of a new booster club for Canby athletics. While individual fundraising efforts exist, he hopes to bring them together under one organization. The proposed organization, Canby Backers, would utilize fundraising efforts like preferred seating and discounted tickets. By charging a membership fee of $65 per family, he hopes to alleviate funding pressure for students and administration. In addition to the seating perks, members will receive a gold vest, purchased from a local Canby supplier, adorned with the club name, currently Canby Backers, and the high school logo.

Funds raised through the club would go into the school’s Associated Student Body (ASB) funds. The goal, Schnabel said, would not be to fully subsidize the entirety of any individual programs, but to provide additional support and reduce some of the fundraising pressure currently placed on students, coaches, administrators, and local businesses.

When asked why he felt so strongly that a unified booster club was necessary, Schnabel pointed to an obvious need within the community.  Local businesses, he said, “are being bombarded with requests for donations.” As individual program fundraising organizations have closed down, the remaining programs are left competing for the same pool of sponsors.

The need for funding is evident in many programs. Jason Grisham, a former member of Canby Touchdown Club, recalled that the school’s cheerleaders went without new pom-poms for over 20 years before recently being replaced. For middle school athletics alone, fundraising goals would need to approach $150,000 in order to fully subsidize the programs. Funding all of the Canby High School’s programs through ASB would require an even larger amount.

The proposed booster club would instead focus on supplementing existing funds. Beyond game day benefits, members could participate in exclusive raffles and fundraising dinners. As Schnabel works to organize and motivate, several local businesses are eager to participate. In the event that the Canby Backers is established, longtime local grocer Cutsforth’s has offered $100 grocery vouchers, Ebner’s Custom Meats is offering a custom meats package, and even Jo’s Saloon and Eatery is offering $25 gift cards. By donating goods and gift cards, businesses can participate without shouldering the burden of being a full-time sponsor of multiple individual programs.

Schnabel hopes that the effort can eventually help unify the school’s remaining booster organizations while providing a more straightforward way for families and the community to support Canby athletics. Rather than asking parents and businesses to navigate multiple seasonal fundraising efforts, the proposed Canby Backers would give them one place to contribute while allowing funds to support students across many athletic programs.

For Grisham and Schnabel, the effort ultimately comes down to making sure that students have the support that they need to participate and succeed. Whether that means new equipment, better fundraising opportunities, or simply a community willing to show up, the club is intended to supplement what the school and existing programs already provide. The organization is still in its early stages, but Schnabel hopes that it can bring coaches, families, and local businesses together around a common goal. Ultimately, Grisham says it best when he says, “The whole thing is for the kids.”