The Crandall booster club is going above and beyond in order to help their student-athletes. After two years as a member, Jim Kirk will begin his inaugural year as President of the booster club that financially supports every sport at the school.

Kirk, a former coach, and college football player, first joined the booster club in 2015 because of his love for sports and helping kids. What makes Kirk stand out as a leader is his willingness to do what other people don’t want to.

“On Fridays in the past at 4:30 p.m. on Friday afternoons you will find me in the back of the concession stand firing up the grill and flipping four dozen burgers and about four dozen hot dogs,” Kirk said. “I will do whatever someone else will not do, whatever is needed.”

Throughout the season, the booster club does a lot with the Crandall middle schools — running concession stands for all the middle school sports as well as helping out with their athletic banquets.

Kirk and the rest of the Crandall booster club leadership board don’t just work during the school year, they work year-round as Kirk says there are always things that need to be done.

“We have monthly meetings every month during the summer and have elections of a new board,” Kirk said. “We also are gearing up for the beginning of school and the boys of Fall - football, volleyball, cheerleaders, and cross country.”

The club presents $10,000 in scholarships each year to Crandall graduating senior student-athletes. Kirk says that the club primarily raises the funds needed for that through their concession stands and merchandise sales.

“Our main money raiser is the concessions, especially on Friday night football. We have been selling more and more merchandise as well, like T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, ball caps, etc.”

Though Kirk plays a key role in the club’s success, he recognizes that there’s no way it could be successful without the help of many parent volunteers.

“We beg, plead, borrow whatever we can do to get volunteers. They are the lifeblood of our organization,” Kirk said.

Though the booster club does a lot of things throughout the year to help the student-athletes out financially, Kirk emphasizes that the main goal of the club is to ensure that the athletes have a sense of school spirit and that they are cared for.

“Pirate Pride!! I want them to know that we pray for them and we support them in every way we can,” Kirk said.