The Grand Junction High School Booster Club has strived to make “One Big Difference” this year and wants to make an even bigger difference.
The One Big Difference fundraiser asked for donations from citizens around Mesa County and beyond during Homecoming week, Sept. 22-28. Money is raised for the school in order for teachers to boost the school’s environment.
“The One Big Difference fundraiser is a whole school fundraiser in our school, organized by our Booster Club. It’s a donation and fundraiser to sell items and try to improve the items with the money we earn from selling the old items, and get money from citizens. The Booster Club needed requests from the school to get the supplies, and decided which teacher needed it the most,” said GJHS principal Jory Sorensen.
The main leaders of the fundraiser were GJHS parents Booster Club Co-Treasurer Carrie Zentner and Secretary Carolee Hawkins. The Booster Club was revived by a small group of GJHS parents and alumni to help the school’s clubs, classes and sports activities with federal cuts and state cuts.
“Carrie Zentner and I led the fundraiser because we had the most knowledge about how to start and make the fundraiser successful. The idea was made when it was brought up in one of our Booster Club meetings. It was a thing we had seen before and wanted to try for GJHS. We decided the best way to do it is by starting to promote it during homecoming week, when parents will see and help out,” said Hawkins.
According to the fundraiser website, donations help provide resources to improve high school students’ experiences.
“I heard about the fundraiser when the Booster Club came in for a staff meeting and presented the idea, and asked teachers to help advertise it. I hope that the money from the fundraiser doesn’t only go to sports and clubs, but also to the regular classrooms and teachers will get money to help with their activities. The money will help regular teachers boost their teaching, which helps teach the students,” said GJHS social studies teacher Amy Deschamp.
According to the fundraiser website, the campaign “helps provide resources that enrich the high school experience — from supplies for the classroom, clubs, and the arts to equipment for athletics and instruments for music, we can make a big difference in just one week.”
Students, teachers, and parents can make donations by going to https://donate.onecause.com/gjhs. According to the site, there have been 153 donations to this year’s fundraiser totaling $29,349. The Booster Club has worked with requests they got from a survey sent to GJHS staff members, helping to make sure teachers and coaches get what they need to succeed.
Booster Club members said they hope the fundraiser will be a yearly event.
