MUSCATINE, Iowa–No matter what kids get involved with in high school, from athletics, to the performing arts, to interest-based clubs, the Muskie Boosters make sure they have the funds to thrive. In a typical year, the Booster club gives out about $75,000 to student organizations who come to the activities office for help purchasing uniforms or costumes, updating equipment, or paying for outings or special events. “It goes to everything!” stressed Muskie Booster Club President Megan Randoll.
For the past 32 years, the Muskie Booster Club has funded all their generous donations from concession stand sales at athletic events and from their highly anticipated cake auction. However, limited concession sales in 2020 and 2021 and the cancelation of the 2021 cake auction due to the COVID-19 pandemic left them in a tough situation. During the 2020-2021 school year, the Boosters only gave $15,000 to student groups they had already made commitments to, exhausting their rainy-day funds in the process.
With in-person events growing in popularity again, the Boosters have seen an uptick in concessions sales. They also eagerly anticipate the return of the annual cake auction, which will take place Feb. 4.
As in years past, the cake auction will take place at a double header girls and boys basketball game. Featuring both live and silent cake auctions, members of the community will have the chance to come together and show off their cake baking and decorating skills and get to enjoy some sweet treats for a sweet cause too. With the theme of, “A Night at the Movies,” offered as a suggestion by student council and voted on by the Booster Club, this year’s cake auction will surely prove a blockbuster.
In order for the auction to succeed, the Boosters will need a wide variety of large elaborate cakes to include in their live auction as well as more family-sized cakes for their silent auction. If you would like to contribute a cake to the auction, Randoll encourages you to complete their online registration form. If you have difficulties with the form or additional questions about entering a cake into the auction, you may also contact the boosters by emailing them.
Anyone donating a cake for the auction will need to bring it to Muscatine High School, located at 2705 Cedar Street in Muscatine, the day of the auction, Feb. 4, between noon and 4 p.m. If someone has an especially large cake to drop off, they will need to bring it in the handicapped entrance closest to the gym and the pool to ensure it can fit through the doors without getting damaged.
In 2020, the Muskie Booster Club cake auction featured an impressive 93 cakes, making it possible for the Boosters to support many student endeavors. As they look to recover from the financial hardships of the 2020-2021 school year, they look to auction off a record number of cakes and bring in a record amount of funding for local students. “It’s so very necessary,” Randoll emphasized.
