SPHS Booster Club | South Pasadena CA

Volunteer

Bingo volunteering for adults
If you are a parent or Booster supporter over the age of 18 (who is not currently attending South Pasadena High School), you can volunteer to help staff Booster Club Bingo, held every Saturday in the high school gym. By volunteering, you will earn up to $50 per Saturday for the sport or club of your choice. If you haven't already been briefed by your coach or club leadership, contact at (phone number) or (email) to sign up to volunteer.

If you are interested in more involvement, the bingo committee is the group that makes bingo run smoothly each week. As a committee member, you will work approximately one Saturday per month. Bingo committees include: Set-up, Managers, Front Door, Finance, Bonanza, Pull Tabs, Parent Welcome and Callers. After you have worked one night as a parent volunteer, you can advise the manager if you are interested in serving on a committee, or contact at (phone number) or (email) for more information.

Bingo volunteering for students
If you are a student at SPHS you may volunteer for Bingo set up and clean up, by volunteering your group can earn up to $20 per Saturday.

Volunteer FAQ

Q. Is there a minimum number of hours that I am expected to work?
A. Each team/group selects a number of bingo nights based on the financial needs for the year or season. The number of times you will be expected to volunteer for bingo will be determined by the number of dates the coach/advisor has signed up for, as well as the size of the team and available parent volunteers to draw from (i.e., large teams like football and track will have more dates and parents to draw from than a smaller group like tennis or AVID). Bingo shifts run from 4 p.m. to approximately 10 p.m. each Saturday.

Q. Do students work Bingo too?
A. Yes, students set up and clean up the gym each Saturday. By law, students cannot be in the gym during playing hours (4 to 9:30 p.m.). Students are only allowed to work set-up (2:15 to 3:30 p.m.) and clean-up (9:15 to 10:30 p.m.).

Q. How will I know when I am supposed to work?
A. The week you are scheduled to work, you will receive an email reminder that will include any final information you may need. It is important to respond to the email and confirm that you will be there on Saturday.

Q. How will my student know when he or she is supposed to work?
A. The coach/advisor is in charge of notifying students of their assigned dates.

Q. What if I or my student can't go on the assigned day?
A. When the reminder email is sent to you, please respond ASAP if you are unable to work your scheduled shift. Also, if you know well ahead of time and have a roster for your team or group, it is OK to switch nights, or find an alternate to work your night. In that case, when you receive your reminder, just respond to the scheduler with the name of the person substituting for you.

Q. What do I need to know, and what can I expect when I arrive at the gym to work on Saturday night?
A. First, be sure to wear comfy shoes, you'll be doing a lot of walking. Sign in at the Parent Volunteer Welcome table in the southwest corner of the gym. A Welcome Committee member will sign you in, give you a name badge and apron.

There will then be a short meeting with the manager and all parent workers for the night. The manager will give you some basic bingo etiquette, and assign you to one of two sales teams: Bonanza or Pull Tabs.

When you report to your team table, the committee chair will divide up the volunteers, giving you specific tasks and instructions and answer any questions about selling on the floor. You will also be given $15 in cash for making change. You will then be sent out on the floor to sell. (An important tip to remember is to make sure you cover all areas of the room. Patrons get upset when sellers clump together or just hit certain areas of the room. Some players tend to buy more than others, so it is tempting to keep returning to specific tables, but all our players are important to us, no matter how much they spend.)

Your committee chair will let you know the dinner break time, and you will also get other opportunities to sit down and rest your feet several times during the evening. Dinner is provided, and there will be a sheet at the dinner station for you to sign. This is a great opportunity to meet other parents, share information and learn interesting things about life at SPHS.

We ask that you not be on your cell phone while on the floor, unless there is an emergency, and then it would be appreciated if you took the call outside or off the floor. You may, however, make calls on your dinner break.

After the last bingo is called (usually around 9:30), you will gather at the gym doors with the clean-up students to thank our patrons as they are exiting. After the players have left, clean-up begins which takes about half an hour.

Q. Is it true that I can "earn" more for my team or group by working on certain days?
A. Certain bingo nights are designated "Super Saturdays." These traditionally are dates that are harder to fill with teams and groups (i.e., Thanksgiving weekend, Spring Break, Prom Night). The coaches/advisors are notified of these Super Saturdays when selecting their dates.

Q. How much does my team/group "earn" each time I work bingo?
A. Committee members     $100
Managers     $125
Parent volunteers     $50
Student volunteers     $10 (set up or cleanup)
"Super Saturdays"     Parents $100         Students $20

If everyone signed up for a group or team comes on time a $100 bonus is earned. "Everyone" is defined as:
4 set-up students
3 parent volunteers
4 clean-up students

Q. Can I raise money to pay for my child's uniforms, entry fees, etc. by working Bingo?
A. Your contributions by working Bingo can be designated for the benefit of a specific team, club or other approved activity. However, the funds must benefit the team or group as a whole, not a specific individual.

Q. But that's not fair - if I work, why should my work benefit kids whose parents don't or won't work Bingo?
A. The Booster Club works to support high school activities, not individuals. It is not permissible for funds to be used for the benefit of a specific individual. We hope that everyone will do their fair share to help. Sometimes, there are reasons people can't. Feel free to encourage parents who do not work Bingo to participate more. You can contact ______, the Bingo ______, who also will reach out to people who may not know they can or should work.

Q. The Booster Club makes more from Bingo than what is designated to the teams and activities by their volunteers. What happens to the rest of the money?
A. Nearly 70% of the bingo profits go directly to teams and student activities. With the remaining 30%, the Booster Club makes gifts and grants for specific programs and needs, assists the District with funds for athletic transportation, provides annual scholarships, and has set up an endowment fund to continue to maintain reserves for the future.

Q. My team or activity needs extra funds for a special activity, for new uniforms, or another special purpose. Can we work extra Bingo?
A. Yes, your coach/advisor can contact the Scheduler to sign up for additional bingo dates. Openings are available throughout the year.