El Camino High Sells Tiles to Buy Lights

The El Camino Real High School booster club received state approval for its plan to install lights in the campus football stadium, but it now faces the daunting task of raising the $110,000 to pay for them.

The office of the state architect approved the project last week. The club paid to draw up the plans, leaving only $5,000 in its account for the purchase and installation of the fixtures.

“Now that we have approval we think fund-raising will be a lot better,” said Jon Saul, co-chairman of the Stadium Lights Committee. “It will show the community that we can really do this.”

Although Principal Ron Bauer said he supports the effort, the school cannot use district funds for the stadium lighting because of a long list of other deferred maintenance projects that need attention.

When the club gets close to its goal, Bauer said, he plans to conduct a school-wide fund-raiser to put it over the top. To raise money, Saul said, the booster club has been selling engraved tiles to families, individuals and businesses that are on display in the main building on campus.

El Camino now plays its night home games at other local campuses, most often Canoga Park High.

The school rented lights last October and held its homecoming game on campus for the first time in the school’s 28-year history. The event gave the club a taste of the revenues a home game could bring in, Saul said.

The concession and ticket sales raised $1,000 that one Friday night, he said, adding that he estimates that having regular home games on campus would nearly double the club’s annual fund-raising income of approximately $10,000.