After flourishing under the guidance of president Mike Stastny and his wife Ana, the Oakdale High Sports Boosters Club will turn to Oakdale native Kevin Brunk and his wife Cheryl to direct the sports boosters club in what may be the most important time in the booster’s history.

The Brunks are longtime members of the boosters club, yet are honored to be the new top face of one of the city’s most recognized volunteer organizations.

“Cheryl and I are very excited about being able to continue our membership on the board,” Brunk said. “And in our new role, being able to provide the student athletes at Oakdale High the necessities that they need to excel in their particular sports.”

The OHS boosters’ importance is at an all-time high with the financial woes of the state as well as the Oakdale Joint Unified School District, forcing the role of providing for the boosters club into more important territory.

“Some of our new board members as well as our old board members,” Brunk said, “understand the importance of playing an even larger role in providing essentials that may not be provided for by the district because of budget cutbacks.”

The Brunks come in on the heels of the Stastnys, who held the presidential office for nearly three years and know what the duties entail, yet have a profound understanding of the importance of an easy adjustment period.

“Mike and Ana have been great at providing good organizational history to us and the new board members,” Brunk said of the former presidential couple. “Which has really helped create a smooth transition. They have made themselves available for various questions and clarifications on other issues, and continue to support the club, albeit in a different role.”

The Oakdale High School Sports Boosters Club is a volunteer nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage, promote, and maintain support of athletics at Oakdale High School. The primary focus of the club’s efforts is to raise funds for OHS athletics for needed resources that the sports teams may not receive through the school’s athletic program budget.

“We need the community to understand we appreciate the effort that has already been placed forth,” Brunk said. “The boosters club would not be able to provide for the OHS athletics without their volunteering as well as their consistent financial support.”

Being a part of this objective is nothing new to the Brunks or their family, which have a long-standing history in helping the Oakdale athletic programs climb to the level that they currently sit at.

“Our family has been involved in Oakdale athletics going back to when my brothers and I participated on numerous OHS sports teams,” Brunk said. “My dad coached football at OHS for 15 years, and both my parents were in the sports boosters for several years.

“Cheryl and I have learned from our parents the value and importance of community based volunteerism.”

The vice-presidency will also be filled by a new couple, as Bret and Cheri Martin were voted into that office. Ron and Dionn Avant will be handling the club’s finances as the group’s treasurers and the board of directors will be made up of Bob and Stacey Denning, David and Jill Earle, John and Lorraine Fauria, Bill and Danielle Jones, Glenn and Ellen Morris, John and Dawn Moyle, David and Diane Siemsen, Frank and Peggy Slomkowski, Brian and Melanie Sluggett and Ozzy and Kris Stout.

With the Oakdale High football program’s 2009 schedule in place, the boosters will have an increased opportunity to gain finances through a glorified preseason schedule that will likely feature three consecutive sell-outs at the Corral to open play this year.

“The opportunity to generate a large percentage of our funds through concessions at the football games has been very beneficial,” Brunk said. “Our plan this year is to increase some of the marketing of our boosters club at the football games. We’re going to increase our membership drives and take advantage of having such a captive audience who is interested in Oakdale athletics.”

The club also looks to increase sales of merchandise, memberships and support through the fall sports program ads. Brunk is adamant about boosting membership levels 25 percent on all membership levels. Corporate memberships go for $500, Mustang memberships are $300, Colt memberships are $100, while the Pony memberships are available for $25.

Each level of membership come with its own perks and benefits, and are available to everyone and anyone who support Oakdale athletics.