The Rudder Ranger Booster Club is doing more than taking care of the school’s athletic teams in 2020. The club is also taking care of the community businesses who support the club.

“These are businesses that have been hurt by COVID,” Ranger Booster Club president Michael Adams said. “We’re trying to get them as much recognition as we can. We’re happy to give added publicity to the people who are supporting the club.”

That publicity comes in the form of banners that line the fences at the Rudder High School stadium – not at the larger Merrill Green Stadium. Adams said the club decided to do that to maximize the local exposure.

“When parents go up to the school and come to our stadium, they see those banners,” Adams said. “You have to let those sponsors know that the public sees they are the ones helping our kids.”

That help – in the form of sponsorships, donations and in-kind donations – allows the club to support all of Rudder’s athletes and coaches. Despite the economic impact the pandemic has had, Adams said the club still relishes every opportunity to help.

“It’s been exciting to work to do our best for our kids,” Adams said. “We want to make sure our student-athletes are getting the best support in whatever they do, whether that’s on the field or in the classroom.”

Among the bigger ticket items the club has helped with of late: virtual hitting machines used by the baseball and softball teams and mouthguards for the boys and girls varsity basketball teams, thanks to a donation from Brazos Valley Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. The basketball teams have also asked for shooting machines to use during practice. Adams said club wants all of the coaches to know it is there to support them.

“We want to make sure that we reach out to all of our sports and help tennis and golf, sports who haven’t reached out to us in the past,” Adams said. “Football is the big ticket item, but we want to reach everybody. We’re getting coaches involved and inviting them to share their needs with us.”

He said the club isn’t the biggest club around and doesn’t have the deepest pockets, but it strives to help out as many teams is it can.

“If you need something, tell us and we’ll see what we can do,” he said. “The club isn’t wealthy by any means, but we want to help.”

It will help, thanks to a community that stands behind it. That, Adams said, will allow the club to address team needs, provide meals for each sport’s year-end banquet and provide scholarship support to as many graduating seniors as possible.

“We hope to raise enough funds to give them what they really need and provide something our senior athletes will be able to take a way as they move on to their next steps,” Adams said. “We want that to be a substantial commitment for them.”

Adams remains confident, even in these trying times, that the club will be able to come through for its Ranger community.

“Everyone is giving their heart and soul to helping our kids, and what greater time to do that than now?”