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Theater boost
Pamn Baker, a theater director and English teacher at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, holds auditions for "Godspell." | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media
Casino Night
Where: Ashton Place, 341 W. 75th St., Willowbrook
When: 7-11:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2
Tickets: $45
RSVP: hinsdalesouthboosters.com
Article Extras
Updated: March 18, 2013 1:18AM
DARIEN — The steps in this year’s musical will be just a little sharper, thanks to the Hinsdale South Booster Club.
The theater program is one of many at the high school to receive money from the organization this year. A grant from the Booster Club will provide the cast of “Godspell,” this year’s spring musical, with a professional choreographer.
“We fund a variety of things,” said Joan Gundlach Brandeis, membership co-chair.
Nearly $25,000 was distributed to 14 clubs and events at South this school year.
Jim Bondi is faculty sponsor of the schools’ Bass Fishing Club.
“I am exceptionally grateful to get as much support from the Booster Club as we do,” Bondi said.
“A lot of people don’t really know what the Booster Club does,” said club President Lori Urbanick. While the school’s Athletic Club supports South’s sports teams, the Booster Club supports everything else, from funding the school’s African American History event in February to helping the speech team pay for its weekend travels.
Over the past five years the Booster Club has awarded $164,000 in grants and scholarships. They’ve helped to buy marching band uniforms, Smart Boards for math classrooms and helped to curb the cost to students attending the post prom celebration.
“They are very supportive of the arts,” said theater director Pamn Baker.“They also very generously sponsor the students cast in the All-State Production at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. It is expensive and without the Booster Club’s support some of the students would not be able to be apart of the cast.”
Before any of this financial assistance can happen, the club has to raise the money. That happens at an annual fundraiser, set this year for Feb. 2.
The community is invited to Casino Night, an evening that will include casino games, a live band, raffles and a silent auction, along with hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and soft drinks.
“That doesn’t mean you have to gamble to come,” Brandeis said.
In fact, no money will change hands. All winnings come in the form of raffle tickets, and anything that is lost goes into the Booster Club coffers.
“We have a lot of silent auction items,” Brandeis said, including some that are hard to put a price on, like premium student parking and VIP seats for graduation.
Teachers show their support for the Boosters by volunteering as dealers and by attending as guests. Everyone is invited.
“It’s really just going to be a lot of fun,” Brandeis said.
