Custer County Booster Club and Community:
Making a Big Difference

Press Release
The Custer County Bobcat Booster Club (CCBBC) just finished a happy and successful weekend selling concessions to the Westcliffe Stampede PRCA Rodeo. They grossed over $8,000 in sales over the two-day event, helping them support the many good extracurricular activities at Custer County School.
After subtracting the expenses, the net will be about half that amount. Westcliffe Meats donated all the hamburger free of charge, and Elevation Meats donated brats and hot dogs at wholesale price.
CCBBC has supported the school beginning in 2013 with everything from choir uniforms and band supplies to camp scholarships and the Knowledge Bowl. Unlike most booster clubs, which typically just support football, CCBBC was started to help make the full school experience in all activities accessible for all students. Whether it is uniforms, band instruments, transportation or camp scholarships, the booster club is dedicated to ensuring every student in the county has a chance to take part in extra-curricular activities, and to have a chance at a generous scholarship.
The biggest project to date is Friday Night Lights on the athletic field. The booster club has raised over $54,000 from the community and fundraisers. The total cost of the project is $69,000. The balance was secured by the lighting company, MUSCO Lighting, LLC. They gave the school a great price and flexible financing. The lights are going up now!
The Custer County Bobcat Booster Club was the brainchild of valley native Dr. Gary Coleman, who graduated in 1969. Coleman became a highly regarded, influential and important space scientist. Unfortunately, his work has always been in the classified world, and even more unfortunate, he passed away of a heart attack March 3, 2020, during the most frightening stage of the pandemic.
Coleman gave many thousands of his own dollars to the booster club projects, funding projects and needy students when the club’s coffers could not provide. He contributed the seed money to get it started, also.
In 2013, the club began giving out the Tom Carr Athletic, Academic and Citizenship Award to one outstanding student in each high school graduating class. This award is inspired by a cousin Coleman had, the son of teacher and community benefactor Michelle Carr Clemmensen now of Fowler, Colorado. The proceeds of the rodeo concessions will be split between the athletic field “Friday Night Lights,” and the Tom Carr scholarship.
It is so inspiring to realize that $54,000 plus has been raised for the “Friday Night Lights” project from ordinary businesses and families in our local community. More money is needed to finish the project, plus to fund scholarships and all the various needs of students participating in the many extracurricular activities offered by the
local school.
Custer County School is a local institution with the people’s imprint on it. It is not some monstrous multi-school district removed from the people it serves. Its extra-curricular activities are open to all children and youth in the county, including home schooled children.
A donation to this club does so much for the problems we see as sometimes too big to solve. A child who wants to be in a play, but does not have transportation can be helped. Sports may not specifically translate to careers, but playing sports teaches leadership, self-control, goal setting, how to work as a team and to get along with others in stressful situations. Outside activities raise the social IQ of each student who participates. Hobbies supported by the school help build positive social circles and decrease loneliness, isolation and depression. Drama, music, Knowledge Bowl and art are all helpful in teaching young people how to achieve success they never thought they could; to work hard for themselves and for their fellow students. They make friends they may have for a lifetime.
The club has established these gift levels: Platinum is gifts $2500 and above; Gold is $500 to $2499; Silver is $250-$499; Bobcat is $0-$250. There is no charge to join. Meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at Kirkpatrick Bank. The next meeting will be Tuesday, August 3rd.
The Custer County Bobcat Booster Club wants to give a heartfelt thanks to the many great donors and volunteers who have carried on the vision Coleman began when he retired from his significant career to live his few remaining years in his childhood home, helping today’s students get a step up toward being fulfilled, happy and productive citizens.
For more information, please call the current president, Bill Canda at 719-431-9979 (billrcanda @gmail.com) or secretary Stacey Schoch at 719-242-8371 (stacey.schoch@gmail.com). The club is a 501c3 tax exempt organization.Your donations will help our county’s youth tangibly and immeasurably, and will be 100%
deductible.