Residents line up during a Food Truck Night fundraiser at Mascenic Regional High School on Friday night. Credit: ASHLEY SAARI / Ledger-Transcript 
Supporters line up at the Taco Kraze truck. Credit: ASHLEY SAARI / Ledger-Transcript 
PTSO members Kelsi Somero and Brittney Brooks man the PTSO Bake Sale table. Credit: ASHLEY SAARI / Ledger-Transcript 
John Jackson serves up lobster rolls at the Lobster Lovers Food Company tent. Credit: ASHLEY SAARI / Ledger-Transcript 
A fundraising thermometer shows the narrow gap needed to fund Boynton sports for the year. Credit: ASHLEY SAARI / Ledger-Transcript
Community organizers are finalizing the tally from Friday’s Food Truck Night fundraiser, but express confidence they will reach their $32,415 goal to fully fund middle school sports for the upcoming academic year.
Boynton Middle School sports were cut from the district budget after voters rejected a proposed $23.9 million spending plan, forcing the Mascenic School District into a default budget for the third consecutive year.
Organizers with the Boynton Parent, Teacher, Student Organization and the Mascenic Athletics Booster Club spent the summer holding events to fund the fall, winter, and spring athletic seasons. Heading into Friday’s final pre-school event, the group was roughly $4,000 short of its target.
“It’s amazing, I feel like everyone’s pouring into this,” said PTSO member Katelyn Somero. “It’s just a group of people that are dedicated to making this work. It’s awesome to see the community coming together, volunteering or donating.”
Although final numbers are still being calculated, Somero said the group expects to close the remaining gap this week. “I do feel like we will make it,” she said.
Carolyn Cormier, treasurer of the booster club, credited strong local turnout for the effort’s momentum.
“It’s really exciting, because the community comes out in droves; they’re lined up at food trucks before they’re even open, and it’s just a good sense of community and unity when you’re going through something really difficult,” Cormier said. “It’s good for the kids, too, to get excited about going back to school. We’re really appreciative and excited about what’s ahead.”
Organizers noted that while the community rallied around athletics, the budget cuts affected other areas of the school system as well.
“We don’t like being in this position, certainly; we hate that the budget doesn’t pass,” Cormier said. “Sports aren’t the only thing the community is hurting from. We lost several paraprofessional positions, teaching positions, so we’re hurting all around. We strongly felt we didn’t want our students to experience the pain of that through the loss of athletics in addition to all of those other stressors.”
Organizers hope the school district budget will be fully funded next year to avoid relying on private donations.