15th Annual Encina Alumni Challenge

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Score: Alumni 67, Varsity 65
Date: Friday, April 24, 2015

This year we raised over $50,000 for Encina!

Alumni and varsity teams

Alumni team

#00 Stephen Beasley '02, #65 Myron Burns '87, #1 James Hankins '02, #95 Manuel Alfonso '08, #55 Ryan Conner '93, #90 Jared Alexander '92, #75 Bob Goosmann '74, #70 Mark Gilbert '03

Varsity team

#0 Kimani Randolph
#1 Jordan Ferrer
#2 Keo Leatherwood
#3 Matthew Coleman
#4 Donald Jackson
#5 Antonio Herbert
#7 Marcus Collins
#11 De'Andre Adams
#15 Malik Hatcher
#24 Quincy Williams
#32 Alphone King
Captains: Matthew Coleman & Keo Leatherwood
Coach: Kevin Parker
Assistant Coach: Colton Nelson

 

Dear Alumni,

THANK YOU!       Thank you all for supporting Encina and this party we call the Alumni Challenge.  By last count we've raised over $45,000 for Encina this year!  As Booster Club Treasurer, I know how much these donations are valued and how much they impact current students.  THANK YOU!!

It was great to see so many old friends and to make new ones at the BBQ and game.  Sometimes I was able to stop and say hi, but often all I could do was wave from a distance.  Either way we appreciate those who could join us, coming out for a fun night.

Access Sacramento couldn't broadcast the game live, but will broadcast and stream in about a week from now.  Once we have the broadcast schedule and access information, we'll post it to encinahighschool.com and Facebook.  We also plan to post the video to YouTube and will link from encinahighschool.com and Facebook.  The game was a real battle with the lead switching back and forth.  In the end the Alumni team won!

We inducted Cathy Simmons Survillas into the Encina Hall of Fame for her work as a teacher for more than 40 years and her work with a school in Kenya.  Cathy presented on her non-profit, Iruri Primary School - Sharing a Vision in the Blackbox Theater on campus.  Cathy's presentation was taped by Access Sacramento and will be streamed.  If you want to learn more about Cathy's work and see some great photos, go to www.irurikurota.org.  I was fortunate to be able to meet with Cathy and learn about her life and work and I'm so glad she was selected as our Hall of Fame inductee for 2015.  Amazing woman, amazing work!

Thank you again, for supporting our Alma Mater!

Steve Palmer '74


To all the Magnificent Encina Alumni,

Kudos once again for your incredible generosity, which each year makes the Alumni Challenge such a great success.  It's nothing short of astonishing that over $600,000 has been raised since the event was initiated in 2001!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I also want to express my appreciation to everyone who came out to the game on Friday night and cheered on the Alumni Team--you willed us to a hard-fought two-point victory (our fourth in a row over the Varsity, I might add).  See you next year!

Bob Goosmann '74

 

Alumni Challenge BBQ and Game
Friday, April 24, 2015

This year's Alumni Team has been practicing diligently each weekend in preparation for a battle royal against the Varsity Team on April 24.  The Alumni include four youngsters who graduated between 2002 and 2008, two graduates from 1992, one from 1987 and some old guy from 1974.  We're confident that we can prevail over the Varsity for the third straight year (while conceding that it is never easy). Bob Goosmann 74 

Hall of Fame inductee Catherine Simmons Survillas 63 to speak prior to Alumni Challenge Dinner
 
Cathy Simmons Survillas ('63) will be inducted to Encina's Hall of Fame during this year's Alumni Challenge, April 24, 2015.  In addition, Cathy will give a presentation for students and alumni from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m--prior to dinner--in the Black Box Theater (located adjacent to the cafeteria and across from the small gym). The presentaion is free, but please arrive no later than 4:30 p.m. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to Harlan as attendance is limited by the size of the theater.

BBQ Dinner, 5:30 - 7:15 pm

As always, a delicious free BBQ dinner will be served in Encina's cafeteria prior to the basketball game. Award-winning Texas West BBQ will serve chicken, ribs, salad and side dishes, drinks and dessert. Join us to share memories and favorite stories, meet old friends and make new ones! In addition, student body leaders will be on-hand to give campus tours.

Encina Hall of Fame Ceremony - Catherine Simmons Survillas '63

At halftime, Cathy Simmons Survillas ('63) will be inducted to Encina's Hall of Fame during this year's Alumni Challenge, April 24, 2015.  Cathy graduated from Encina in 1963 and has devoted her life to teaching and to helping others.  Cathy has taught for 40 years across grades K-12 at Elk Grove Unified and all around the world, teaching in California, Europe, South America and Africa.   In 2012 Cathy lead a team to create Iruri Primary School - Sharing a Vision, a non-profit organization supporting students in Kenya.  Since 2012, Cathy and her organization have raised tens of thousands of dollars, supporting hundreds of students with better classrooms, books, supplies, and scholarships.  Cathy will return from Kenya for the Alumni Challenge to share her work as a teacher and helping others.  We're honored to induct Cathy into Encina's Hall of Fame.

Class of 1965 Golden Graduates

Join us to celebrate Encina's Class of 1965--with special remembrances, Class of 65 alumni, faculty, Class of 1965 memorabilia, special "50 Years" Birthday Cake and more!

Alumni Challenge Basketball Game, 7:30 - 9:00 pm

Dinner will be followed by the always-exciting basketball game between an Encina Alumni team and the current Boys Varsity team. This extremely competitive series currently stands at 8 wins for the alumni and 6 wins for the varsity. Our professional announcer, Peter Boam (Class of '63) will call the game and be Master of Ceremonies for the event.

All Proceeds Help Encina and the Students

The Alumni Challenge is one of the most successful high school fundraisers in Sacramento history. Last year we raised over $47,000 and the grand total is over $587,000 in total funds raised by alumni for our school!! THANK YOU!

Even if you cannot attend the event, please consider a donation on behalf of your graduating class. Your donation helps fund equipment and tournament fees for sports, academic programs, field trips, scholarships, college campus tours, and much more at Encina.

Here are some of the many things funded through the generosity of our donations JUST in the last 12 months:

Football uniforms, programmable microcontroller-based robots for physics, basketball tournament fees, tools and glazes for ceramics, soccer uniforms (championship teams can be hard on uniforms <g>), girls basketball uniforms and shooting shirts, girls softball uniforms, volleyball equipment, new wrestling mats (Encina can now host tournaments for the first time in MANY years), calculators for math classes, college scholarships, cooking club, health occupation students to HOSA state conference, Encina Safe All Nite Grad, and MORE.

Almost ALL of these programs and projects get no funding from the school district or other sources, but make a big impact on campus and students' lives. We have made, and continue to make, a positive impact on Encina!

We look forward to seeing everyone at this year's Alumni Challenge!

Steve Palmer            Bob Goosmann             Harlan Lau
Class of '74               Class of '74                     Class of '73

Alumni roster
#95 Manuel Alfonso  2008
#70 Mark Gilbert  2003
#1 James Hankins  2002
#00 Stephen Beasley  2002
Jared Alexander  1992
#55 Ryan Conner  1992
#65 Myron Burns  1987
#75 Bob Goosmann 74 (captain, coach)

Varsity roster

Head Coach: Kevin Parker
Assistant Coach:
Captains:

Videographer: Access Sacramento
M.C.: Peter Boam 63
Photographer: Rollin Coxe 64
National anthem:


What is the Alumni Challenge?

Here's an excerpt from the Encina "Bulldog Barks" parent newsletter describing the Alumni Challenge:

"If you have not yet attended an Alumni Challenge, you are in for a REAL treat.
"What is an Alumni Challenge?" you might ask.

It is a basketball game, where the current Encina varsity basketball team plays a full basketball game against the alumni from the class of 1961 (Encina had its first graduating class that year) to alumni as current as five years ago.

This extremely competitive series has the Varsity Team with six wins to the Alumni Team's five, so the Alumni Team will be extra motivated to bring home a victory this year. So, this is an event you don't want to miss. The evening starts off with a free dinner at 5:30 p.m., and admission to the game is free as well. The game starts at 7:30, and there is a rousing half time event scheduled.

Why would the alumni put themselves in such a position? This is a fund raiser they started to help the Encina Booster Club raise funds to support ALL the students and programs here at Encina High School. Over the years, the funds raised have supported our sports, reading, visual and performing arts, Encina Broadcast System (EBS), tutorials, just to name a few.

The fund raising component to the Alumni Challenge is the donations received through alumni class pledges. An example is an alumni will pledge dollars per point, or per three point baskets, or per the number of points a specific player makes, or perhaps a flat donation. Current students and families can pledge as well, as a way of cheering on the current varsity team.

This game is a very entertaining event and gives our students and families a chance to meet past Encina students. It has become a rivalry between the Apaches/Bulldogs (Encina changed its mascot to the Bulldogs in 1991) and the Bulldogs. Please come out, have dinner and enjoy a GREAT family fun night."

Who is eligible to play?

"CALL FOR PLAYERS: any alumni who graduated at least 5 years ago or earlier and played basketball for Encina is eligible to play on the Alumni team. Preference will be given first to those who have not played in a previous Alumni Challenge. All players must be available for Saturday practice (at Encina) during the weeks leading up to the event. They must also be in reasonable condition--the game is very competitive and we are competing against players half (and in some cases one-third) our age. If you are interested in playing, contact Bob Goosmann at magusbob@hotmail.com."

I understand we have some fairly recent grads who are interested in playing this year. If you are in contact with your basketball playing classmates, please let them know about the alumni challenge and encourage them to play. Several years ago the high scorer for the alumni team was Norm Siefkin from the class of 1963!

Every year we receive inquiries from female alumni who would like to play. Unfortunately, the alumni team is not co-ed. In order to field a women's team, we need someone like Bob to captain/coach/organize a women's team.

What are we raising money for?

Encina gets money for the traditional "core" classes such as math and reading. We (alumni) are providing assistance for many of the extracurricular programs, elective classes, clubs and other programs that help to enrich students' experience at Encina.

The money goes to the Encina Booster Club , which allocates the funds based on requests from students and faculty. While much of the money is allocated to sports as you would expect from a booster club, a lot of the money goes to academic and other non-sports programs.

Here are some testimonials from recipients of the alumni challenge pledges.

Here is a list of some of the programs funded in the past:
Viet Nam Memorial honoring Encina Alumni
All Sports (uniforms, tournament fees, bleachers, transportation, supplies, etc.).
Business Academy End of the Year Luncheon for Seniors
Cheer Camp
CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) tutoring and incentives
Wish Lists for staff (this is open to ALL staff to submit items that are not covered by district nor department funds).
Alumni Challenge expenses
Undergraduate Awards Program
STAR testing incentives
Scholarships
AVID T-Shirts
CSF Fieldtrip to UOP
Controllers for Interactive Education
Spanish games (verb conjugation, etc.)
Computer programs, guides and graphics for journalism, French and English
Prizes for Open Enrollment Parent Night
Gift cards for a drawing for Take Your Parent to School Day
Special Ed Students field trip to San Francisco
Incentives for PBS (Positive Behavior Systems)
New Student Welcome Program through Counselors
Encina Art Gallery (Art Opening Receptions)
Performing Arts (Students attending local plays)
Cheerleading
Drama
Freshman Feast (a Freshman event with Senior peers/guides)
Encina Broadcasting System (EBS) (equipment and supplies)
Football
Boy's Soccer
Girl's Soccer
Girl's Softball
Girl's Volleyball
Girl's Basketball
Boy's Basketball
Basketball Tournaments
Supplies for Garden Club, Japanese Club, Dance, Drum Line
Laser for science classes to teach particle/wave theories and demonstrate interference
Calculators for science and math classes
Art supplies for ceramics
University field trips (Chico, Berkeley, Stanford, Davis and others)
All night Sober Grad
Books for the Library
Sports Banquets
Every 15 minutes (drug/alcohol intervention)
Alumni Challenge event
The encinahighschool.com Website
SAP (Student Assistance Program)
Reading Program
Student to Ashland to participate in Shakespeare Festival
After school tutoring
Backboard replacement
Drama department (students) trip to Ashland

FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT

Several alumni have asked whether there is any financial oversight for all the money donated to the Encina Booster Club. Is there anything which prevents the funds from being misused or even embezzled?

Steve Palmer ‘74 realized very early on, that the Encina Booster Club lacked such oversight and worked with Encina to implement sound financial practices. Here is Steve's description...
"I am happy to talk about Encina's Booster Club financial oversight. I sat on the Booster Club as "Auditor" for several years and have been Treasurer for the last seven years. My classmate Bob Goosmann (Alumni Challenge player/coach) and I attend most monthly meetings, which are held at 4:30 pm on the second Tuesday of each month except July and August.
Funds that are collected by the Booster Club are deposited into a Bank of America account. Heddy Crowder, Encina's Community Liaison, records how much is received from whom (photocopies incoming checks, snackbar sales records, etc). She emails Harlan and me with Alumni donor name, date of receipt and amount. While Harlan does not usually see snackbar, t-shirt sales and such, I do. Donations via PayPal are recorded and acknowledged and then transferred to our Bank of America account. The majority of our funding is from Alumni Challenge pledges. As treasurer, I reconcile each month's bank statement with our Quickbooks records and provide a detailed transaction journal, spending vs. budget analysis and balance sheet at each monthly meeting. Treasurer's records are reviewed at each meeting at which time we also make disbursements for approved expenses. Our CPA reviews our work and prepares our annual tax filings.
Each year, Principal (Richard Judge), Booster Club President (Angie Kerr), Encina Community Liaison (Heddy Crowder) and I build a proposed budget to be approved (with modification/changes) by the membership. We allocate funds to Encina programs based on department need with about 50% going to sports and 50% going to academic programs, scholarships, Alumni Challenge expenses, and such. Each semester we ask staff to submit requests for program and project funding. We fund those that are believed to provide the greatest positive impact to Encina students.
We hold about 15% in reserve from one year to the next and for "emergency" requests. For example, a few years ago Encina fielded a Girls Softball team for the first time in many years! The Booster Club (because of alumni generosity) was able to purchase uniforms and equipment. (The team is still going strong!)

Please let me know if you'd like more detail or additional information.

Alumni, thank you for supporting Encina's students and future alumni!
Steve Palmer
Encina '74"

How do I pledge?

Send your check to:
Encina High School Booster Club
Encina High School
Attention: Heddy Crowder
1400 Bell Street
Sacramento,CA 95825
(please note your class year and whether you want pledge to be anonymous)

Or pay using PayPal or credit card: http://encinahighschool.com/homecoming/pledge_okay.htm

Is my contribution tax deductible?

Yes, your contribution is tax deductible. Please take advantage of your company's matching funds program if you have one to double your contribution as I do. Encina will send you a tax letter.

How effective is the Alumni Challenge?

In the past twelve years the alumni challenge has raised over $588,000 for Encina!

2014: $47,000
2013: $44,000
2012: $40,000
2011: $43,000
2010: $34,000
2009: $36,000
2008: $48,000
2007: $53,000
2006: $51,000
2005: $48,000
2004: $46,000
2003: $44,000
2002: $40,000
2001: $15,000

While this is due in no small part to the generosity of alumni benefactor Paul Bonderson 70, we have had as many as 400 individual alumni pledges in past years. These pledges ranged from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. No pledge is too small, nor too large <g>.

Alumni Challenge plaque

The alumni challenge plaque recognizes the five classes who:
1. pledge the most money
2. have the most pledges

Can I pledge anonymously?

Certainly. When you write, say your pledge is anonymous. However, please let me attribute your pledge to your class so they receive credit.

Why should I contribute?

Well, I can't speak for all alumni, but I give because it makes me feel good <g>. I enjoy supporting the next generation of Encina students, the interclass competition, the funny pledges (Tom Clark 70 gave $50 for a 3 pointer I made before the last game), the pride of supporting my classmates, and the feeling that we, as Encina alumni, are doing something special for our school and the community...

So do it for the kids! And do it because it makes you feel good...

Last updated: 04/25/2016

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