Thanks to numerous supporters of the 6th Annual Chieftain Golf Outing, held on June 18, at Indian Lake Hills Golf Course, the Dowagiac Athletic Booster Club will start the 2009-2010 school year in good shape by splitting the outing profits with the Dowagiac Schools’ Foundation.

The outing raised over $25,000 after expenses.

While no immediate plans are set for the spending of this year’s portion of the profits, the Booster Club would like to encourage coaches to attend meetings and ask for items that are needed but are not able to be purchased from the school budget.

The success of the Chieftain outing would not be possible without the support of the community of Dowagiac.

This year there were 13 Gold Sponsors:  Burling & Gillesby, DDS, PC., Dr. Matthew V. Cripe, Dowagiac Union Schools Administrative Team, Fanning & Howey, Fifth Third Bank, GLP & Associates, Midwest Energy, Pinnacle Insurance, Southwestern Michigan College, Sodexho, St. Deny’s Foundation, U.S. Business Systems, and Wolverine Mutual Insurance Company.

Contributing at the Silver Sponsor level were: Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, K & M Machine Fabricating, Image Specialties, LAC Consulting, Nate Wines, Norman & Paulsen, Preferred Printing, Premier Photography, Stauder, Barch & Associates, Terry Ausra Farms, Turf Services, United Way of Southwest Michigan, and Wolverine Electric.

And last but not least were the 30 Bronze Sponsors that supported the outing. These were: A.V.B., Andy Gustafson, Berrybrook Enterprises, Casual Tees, Central Produce, Charles Ross, CPA, Creative Vinyl, Cressy & Everett (S. Myers-Henry), Division Tire, Dowagiac Education Association, Envirosafe, Franklin & Sons, Garage Doors Plus More, GH Cook Lumber, Haas Systems, Hagen Insurance Agency, Hardware Services, Hassle Family, Imperial Furniture, J & E Lawn Care, Lawrence Law Office, McLaughlin Clark Funeral Home, Michigan Army National Guard, Miller-Canfield-Paddock & Stone, Norman & Spencer, Rohdy’s Heating & Cooling, SEMCO, Vylonis Contracting, Weller Wireless, and The Woodfire.

Each year in May, the Booster Club awards many scholarships. Last year, we instituted a Scholarship Sponsor to provide additional monies to student-athletes who are pursuing a higher education. This year, Berrien Teachers Credit Union, Hales Hardware, and Landmark Mortgage Company were all scholarship sponsors. The money from these sponsorships will be awarded at the All-Sports Banquet in the spring.

Thank you also to Bud Distributing, Creative Vinyl, Dowagiac Commercial Press, Doubleday Office Products, Bob Follett, Hannapel Home Center, Heartland Chrysler, Indian Lake Hills, Scott Novak, Pepsi, and Rocket Shirts and Signs.

Also, thank you to the following businesses who provided prizes:  1st Source, AIG, AFLAC, Andersen Windows, Angel’s Crossing, Beeches, Behnke’s, Booth’s Country Florists, Image Specialties, Imperial Furniture, Indian Lake Hills, Juday Creek, Judd Lumber, Manor Mini-Mart, Meadows Golf Club, McCormick Creek Golf Course, Orchard Hills, Pizza Hut, Signal Point, Sims Oak Hills, Spring Meadow Farms Golf Course, Steinman Shell, The Inn Between, The Mane Attraction, Timberline, Vincent J. Jewelers, and Walmart.

Many of the Dowagiac Union Schools staff members, Booster Club members and Foundation members either golfed or worked at the outing, which facilitates a smoothly run event.

The money raised helps the student-athlete and the sports teams, so we appreciate those athletes who were on hand as greeters and the coaches, who golfed or worked.
The Chieftain Outing, in its first six years, has raised over $140,000 for the students and student-athletes at Dowagiac. We plan to continue this tradition and have already set the date for 2010. On Thursday, June 17, the Seventh Annual Chieftain Golf Outing will take place at Indian Lake Hills Golf Course. Mark your calendar.

If you want to be included as a sponsor or a golfer, contact Booster Club President Beth Cripe, past president Tom Carlson, Athletic Director Greg Younger or Booster Club Treasurer Jodi Badder.

The first opportunity for coaches and parents to attend a meeting is the kickoff meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. in the new athletic office, which is located in room 306 at the high school (next to the weight room).
The Booster Club is open to anyone who enjoys sports! Membership dues are just $1 for the whole year! If you have a son or daughter who participates in athletics in the middle school or high school, or if you are just a fan of Dowagiac sports, plan to attend and bring a friend!

Jodi Badder is the treasurer of the Dowagiac Athletic Booster Club.