The Boosterthon folks were beyond great. But, I have a real problem with them taking so much of the profit. Someone is making alot of money off this "fundraiser" and more money should go to the school. I can't hit up friends and family on fixed incomes knowing that about half of the money goes to pay the boosterthon executives. Sorry, say no to the fun run.
We contracted Boosterthon at our school. My kids came home CRYING every night. There was way too much pressure in the classroom. It was like a feeding frenzy. Something seems very secretive about this organization... very few people are aware of the 50% profit Boosterthon receives. The PTA did alot of "damage control" when parents started to ask questions. They conducted a post survey with the parents... and Boosterthon was not invited back to our school.
For all those pro-Boosterthoners.... sometimes you just have to "roll up your sleeves" and do the work to make money. For those that say "they did everything and we made $$$..." not really the "character" trait I want to teach my kids.
I have started researching Boosterthon after my child's school employed them for fundraising, so to speak. I am not sure why anyone would LOVE them as one reviewer put it, other than they did work for them. Have heard many tactful comments from our school staff about how they are driving everyone crazy and how "stressful" their presence has been. The classroom time and kids' focus on school work DOES get interrupted BIG TIME. It might last only 5 mins but that is ALL kids remember and talk about during Boosterthon propaganda weeks. And NO they did not help anyone with homework or do any other altruistic gestures in my child’s classroom.
Moreover, they use very heavy marketing/sales techniques on both parents and children and I totally agree with one parent's term "manipulation". They feature on the web and bring into the classroom so called "prizes" motivating kids to ask parents for them and to compete over who got what. Prizes are cheap and ill-designed, break easily making a child want to replace one within a week. But here comes an interesting part: word "prize" implies free, but earned through performance, yet these "prizes" have a pledge price attached, like if your kid starts nagging you for a rocket since "so & so got it!" you can only get it by pledging=committing to the corresponding amount - some prize-toys are as low as $1 or $2 - seems innocent enough. Well, they do require you (or whoever you ask for future embarrassment) to commit to price per lap according to a "prize" for your child PRIOR to the run, when you have no clue how many laps your child will run. To add an insult they tell your child as you pick them up from school: "MAKE SURE you tell your mom what we told you" - daily - a word "brainwashing" enters mind few times by now.
Then on the day of the run they make sure to lay out laps to be short and give each grade a whole hour - at expense of instruction time -yes; then they make sure kids get plenty of breaks/water and encouragement so a child runs as many laps as they cheer them to and encourage to compete with each other - no pressure right? There is a cap on amount of laps - probably advised by their legal team. I do not see how anyone gets FIT by ONE "fun RUN" - running to exhaustion within an hour. Let's home your child does not have asthma or heart issues.
Meanwhile the whole school is trying to smile and support this propaganda because no one wants to appear unpatriotic - afterall it is all for the school, for the children's benefit and in the name of good values, right? Does anyone know anyone who gained leadership values by hearing someone talk about them? And picture this - Boosterson team enters a classroom and start by showing or "awarding" prizes to children whose parents already pledged FIRST - how many children at elementary level will pay careful attention to their insincere values talk after this?
I do not know about anyone else, but I would not let a Boosterthon representative into my house. And I resent the fact that they were allowed into my child's second home so to speak, the classroom/school. At least with other fundraisers you get a choice whether you and your child participates. Does it sound like you have much control after they enter your world through your child and the school? I would much rather write my teacher/school a personal check than have Boosterthon raise the money.
I agree, FundRunners is much better than Boosterton. I have spoken with them and I was very impressed. The more work your school volunteers are willing to do the higher the percentage your school keeps. It's the same basic idea without the deceptive marketing.
