Lake Washington High School Booster Club
Our mission is to pursue the support and development of student athletic teams and other interscholastic activities
Why are Booster Clubs so important?
Our clubs enhance the athletic and activities experiences offered to students by providing additional financial resources and support to the school-based programs, above and beyond the essentials of the sport or activity.
What are some specific examples of ways the booster clubs support our programs?
Some examples would include organizing team dinners, assisting with Senior Night ceremonies, fundraising for invitational tournaments and other travel experiences.
Athletics and Activities are funded solely through admission ticket sales and through ASB card sales. That revenue is insufficient to provide more than the very basics for our programs.
How do I learn about these events?
Make sure your booster club has your contact information- booster contacts can be found on this website. Also, follow your team and booster club on social media. And don't forget to register your child through the school's sports registration program "Final Forms" on the LWHS Athletics webpage so you can your child can be notified of important upcoming events.
What does the participation fee go towards?
The participation fees are paid to the district and help offset the expense of the coaches’ stipends.
In some cases there isn’t ANY equipment, but there are still expenses. Renting a park to hold a cross-country meet costs money. Attending a wrestling tournament costs money. A new football jersey costs about $125. A new basketball is $60. It all adds up. Some other biggies: Transportation - $75,000 in an average year (not counting post-season travel). Officials – about $32,000 for the three regular seasons.
Is there help for families that can't afford to participate?
Our athletic director and school administration are committed to NEVER turning a family away due to the inability to pay the participation fee. The district helps by providing a number of fee waivers. Families who wish to help can donate to the school’s financial assistance fund so more needy families can be helped.
We also don't raise the price of tickets or the participation fee because we want to keep fees affordable for ALL of our families, so no family ever feels they cannot allow their child to participate.
How can I get involved and help?
Contact the LWHS Booster Club or the booster club specific to your child’s sport or activity. Contact information is located on this website. Help us fundraise, help us promote LW Athletics teams and Arts Clubs, and help our children have a great experience. We welcome all parent participation!
Do you work for a company that does matching funds or volunteer hours? Let your booster club know!
What are the fundraising rules?
There are booster fundraisers and ASB fundraisers. If the majority of the work of the fundraiser is done by the students (or reasonably assumed to be done by the students) the fundraiser is required (by state law) to be a school-approved (ASB) fundraiser, with the money collected deposited daily into the ASB accounts. If the boosters are running the fundraiser, the parents must do most of the work, and students may not wear team apparel while present at the fundraiser. Additionally, all booster fundraisers must clearly identify in all communication that the fundraising is being done by the boosters (not by the team itself).
Tell me about "Title IX"- why is it such a big deal?
Title IX is part of a federal law that the school is required to comply with. Booster spending is one way programs can be found to be in violation of the law. The school must ensure that the experiences provided the girls’ and boys’ athletic programs are substantially equal. If one booster program “outspends” the counterpart program, it creates a potential violation. So, all spending has to go through the school in order for the school to ensure compliance with the law.