Burbank High awarded $25,000 for athletic programs
Burbank High received some much-needed funds for its athletic program Friday evening.
At halftime of the Pacific League opener with Hoover on campus, Burbank was awarded a $25,000 check from Active Ride Shop.
Burbank, the winner for the Los Angeles County area, was one of four schools to be awarded the funds, as Don Lugo (Inland Empire), West Covina (San Gabriel Valley/Santa Clarita Valley/Ventura County/Kern County) and San Pasquel (Orange County/San Diego) highs shared the $100,000 prize.
“For us to win this area is such a great accomplishment and it’s a wonderful surprise,” Burbank principal Michael Bertram said. “And I tell you it couldn’t come at a better time with the way funds are right now. It’s not easy to make ends meet these days.
“This money will go towards some great, great projects and probably help offset some of our other funding … This is really headed by the athletic department. They are going to meet and come up with a plan on how to spend it and how to share it among the entire department. It’s just a great opportunity.”
Earlier this month, Active Ride Shop kicked off a $100,000 back-to-school giveaway giving Southern California high schools the opportunity to win $25,000 each to help support their school athletics programs. The schools with the most votes utilized social media, sent busloads of students into stores and promoted voting at sporting events like football, soccer and volleyball games, were named the winners.
“This wouldn’t have happened without the incredible effort from our student body and their strong effort to make this happen,” Burbank co-athletic director Patrick McMenamin said.
“We are grateful to be one of the schools to receive this $25,000 grant for our athletic programs. We will be seeking feed back from our student-athletes and from our head coaches on how best to use the money and what best ways to spend it on the kids.”
Active Ride Shop conceived the giveaway in an effort to give back to the communities in which it serves. School budgets are stretched thin and athletics programs are often hit with a funding gap. The Active 4 Schools campaign aims to help alleviate some of this budget shortfall for four schools.
Active has a commitment to giving back to the communities it serves. Last year alone, the brand raised more than $125,000 for local schools, after-school programs, sports teams and various charities through its Perfect Pair sock program.
“I even wear Active socks,” Bertram said
Twitter: @jefftsports
