Harwood Boosters Club launches member, fundraising campaign
November 30, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti In their biggest post-pandemic push, the Harwood Boosters Club raised $1,000 on fall sports concession sales, and now the group has launched a membership and fundraising campaign to step up their efforts.
The nonprofit group is aiming to recruit more volunteer members and fundraise to purchase new chairs to be used for indoor sports and other events at Harwood Union Middle/High School.
At the new Harwood Boosters concession booth, fans line up for snacks during a Harwood Girls Soccer playoff match in October. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
The Boosters are comprised of parents, alumni, staff, students and community members interested in supporting athletics and co-curricular and extra-curricular activities at Harwood. “Through fundraising, volunteer efforts, and community engagement, the organization works to enhance student learning experiences and promote enthusiastic participation in school programs,” the group notes in its campaign announcement.
As with many volunteer organizations, membership in the Boosters tends to ebb and peak as individuals with students in school join and later move on. The group took a particular hit during the pandemic as attendance at sporting events was greatly restricted. It has taken several years for the group to rebuild its board and volunteer lists with new members connected to current Harwood students.
The group put a big effort into lining up adult and student volunteers during the fall sports season this year to staff their concession stand. That effort was rewarded with a new mobile concession booth that debuted at fall home soccer playoff games.
Harwood Boosters President Sarah Callahan grills hot dogs for the concession stand during a fall soccer playoff. Courtesy photo
The van offers an enclosed workspace to store, prep and serve up snacks and drinks along the sidelines. Volunteers added a grill to cook up hot dogs. During halftime breaks in games, fans lined up make purchases of nachos, soft drinks and other snacks. Boosters President Sarah Callahan said the van was a donation, and the generous donor so far wishes to remain anonymous.
The Boosters also put on a special homecoming weekend alumni social in October at the Big Picture Theater that included Harwood students prepping food, the Harwood student Assembly Band playing music, and a silent auction fundraiser.
Heading into the winter athletics season now, the Boosters are launching their first membership campaign to further support student athletics and activities. Their goal is to raise enough to purchase 36 padded black and gold Highlander-branded folding chairs and a storage rack for use in the Harwood gym. The chairs will be available for use by home and visiting volleyball, wrestling, and basketball teams, as well as for other school events, explained Boosters Treasurer Catrina Brackett.
The chair purchase will cost just over $5,800, Brackett said, noting that many schools that Harwood teams play have such seating for student-athletes at indoor games. Harwood currently uses basic metal folding chairs.
And while this year’s campaign will focus on the chair purchase, she said future years likewise will aim to support some key purchases for school athletics and activities.
The Boosters’ role
In addition to being the concessions team at Harwood games, the Harwood Boosters Club fills a vital role in the school community by purchasing championship banners to be displayed at Harwood, awarding scholarships to graduating seniors, sponsoring homecoming activities, and supporting a wide range of student activities and athletics. “We promote enthusiastic participation to strengthen our programs and create an environment where all students will thrive,” the organization’s mission states.
Boosters organizers are hoping more members will join them to help with these various projects. The new membership program outlines five levels of support listed below by category and donation level, with perks for each level as well.
Super Fan Level ($25): Sticker set
Gold Level ($75): Lawn sign and sticker set
Black Level ($200): HU trucker or winter hat, lawn sign, and sticker set
Black & Gold Level ($500): Season tickets to basketball or hockey, HU trucker or winter hat, lawn sign, and sticker set
Champions Level ($1,000): Includes covering the purchase of a 2025-26 Annual Campaign padded chair, season tickets to basketball or hockey, HU trucker or winter hat, lawn sign, and sticker set. Donors at this level will have their name added to a commemorative plaque on the Highlander chair storage rack.
Chairs can be sponsored with a donation of $175.
Brackett explained that community members can get involved with the Boosters by volunteering at games and events, joining the Boosters’ board, or making donations to the Boosters’ fundraising efforts.
For more information, contact Catrina Brackett or Sarah Callahan at catrina@harwoodboosters.com or sarah@harwoodboosters.com. See the membership and fundraising campaign information online here.