6th Annual Encina Alumni Challenge

[Pledges and RSVPs] [Dinner photos] [Game photos] [Rollin Coxe photos]

Final score: Alumni win 68-62!

We raise over $52,000 in pledges for the Encina Booster Club!


Alumni team: Steve Goff 75, Bob Goosmann 74, Ricci Dula 00, James Jones 87, Ted Novak 87, Chris Dahlberg 80, Greg Grant 75, Wes Baggs 99, Dave Jensen 72	Varsity team Back: Coach Brian Williams, ?, Mikes Mays 21, Lonnie Brazil 23, Cameron Schremscher 22, DeAnthony Ferguson 12, Phillip Johnson 15, Andre Korykaka 55 Front: Andre Mayo 11, Taco Harris 14, Andres Oliveras 5, Darren Malone 2

Highlight video by Robert Daleiden '90

Encina Alumni Challenge (Google video)

YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTDdPulalDw

Rumors were floating around in the weeks leading up to the game that a few persons (who will remain anonymous) believed that the Varsity squad could defeat the Alumni team by 50 points if they gave it their all. The night before the game, Greg Grant hosted a dinner for both teams at Buca Di Beppo (thanks Greg!), and I told the Varsity coach and players that this was the most talented Alumni team I had ever put together, and to bring their "A" game. As a result, they came out Friday night playing harder than in any previous Alumni Challenge, and we were hard-pressed to win. I've played in all six games, and I can say without question the Varsity team treated this no differently than a high school playoff game--it was that intense.
All of the Alumni players deserve kudos for their oustanding contributions to our win: Chris Dahlberg for his great rebounding and shot-blocking; Dave Jensen and Steve Goff for their tenacious defense; Ricci Dula and Wes Baggs (our youngsters) for their terrific all-around play; Greg Grant for his relentless work on the boards; Ted Novak for his stellar overall game; and James Jones for his dominance in the paint (as always). What a great group of guys to play with.
I'd also like to say thank you to the many alumni who pledged this year--your generosity is unbelievable. We'll do it again next year, which will be right about when my old body will have recovered from this year!
Captain Bob Goosmann '74

WE DID IT! Our goal for this year was $50,000. Just a few days before the game, it looked like we might not make it, but Encina Alum from jumped in to make sure we would. At about 1:00 pm on game day we crossed the $50,000 mark and are STILL receiving new pledges!
The generosity of Encina Alumni continues to amaze me. Thanks to ALL who support our great school.
The game was a battle from the tip off. As was evidenced from the lower than normal score, both sides brought in a tough defense, which made for an exciting game. All of our alumni players did an outstanding job and are to be congratulated on our win. Our Varsity team also played a great game!
I feel so fortunate to get to meet so many friendly, giving alumni at the dinner and game. Thank you all for helping our future Encina Alumni so much!
My sincere thanks to all of the students who participated in the Alumni Challenge this year. I met and talked with several and found them to be enthusiastic, fun and in every way enjoyable. While I didn't get a chance to talk with all of them, I received numerous positive comments from alumni about these students.
I personally had the pleasure of a campus tour hosted by Tony (06), Janet (09) and Jenny (09). These three were great hosts!
Organizer Steve Palmer '74

Thank you for doing a great job as the Webmaster, and for all you do for Encina. This years game was my 3rd, and I am more sore this time around than ever before. Maybe I'm just getting older but the High School team seemed quicker than ever before. We were lucky to get out of there with a win. It is always a fun experience, and I would encourage anyone who has played for Encina in the past to contact Bob and arrange to play. I hope to play again in the future.
James Jones 87

Many thanks to you, Steve Palmer and Bob Goosmann for organizing this event and keeping us connected!
Congratulations to to all of the donors and super donors for raising over $50,000 for Encina High School.
Anyone who has ever played in this event will tell you how much fun it is, and I encourage other Encina alumni to consider playing next year. Start practicing now!
To my 2006 teammates, thank you for the great basketball experience. Ricci Dula and Wes Baggs - you carried us. Ted Novak and James Jones - what control and athleticism. Greg Grant - I'm still sore from the pounding you dished out in practice. Thank you for hosting the dinner for both teams the night before the game. Steve Goff - you know the fundamentals. I like your outlook on life. Anyone who drives to practice in a Jaguar convertible with the top down in a light rain with a smile on their face is my kind of teammate. Chris Dahlberg - your play above the rim was the best yet. Bob Goosmann - you can still score from anywhere on the court. No one can defend the Blue Angle move.
And finally, to my friends who's pledge donations were linked to my scoring performance, please accept my apology. I'll work in the off season to improve this part of my game!
Sincerely,
Dave Jensen ''72

I want to thank all those who put this together. This was a truly great event resulting in an astonishing total of donations. I was only aware of the organizing efforts of Bob Goosmann, Greg Grant and Harlan, but if there were others my (proverbial) hat is off to all. I enjoyed every part of the experience, from the practices to the game. I especially enjoyed seeing old heroes Dave Jensen and Bob Goosmann still tough in the paint. I had never met Chris Dahlberg before, and was amazed by his skills and hustle. To me the experience was like playing on the varsity team all over again, except that I got more playing time in this game! Seeing my mom and dad in the stands with my sister was truly Deja Vu. Finally, I was impressed at how nice the current kids were. They really seemed to appreciate the effort the alumni put out on their behalf, and that made the experience all the richer. My warmest and best regards to all,
Steve Goff 75.
Ps. The experience reminded me of how much I miss my brother David (Class of 81), but also showed me that there are lots of ways to help out in the community to try to make up for the feeling of loss.

Thanks for all of your time, energy and creativness. No Harlan no web no money Maybe the school could provide examples of the benefits to the school from the alumnus contribution. The alumni want to make a difference in the lifes of the current students
Those are my thoughts to continue the donations from alumni.
Thanks Harlan
Best regards,
Greg Grant 75

Hi Harlan, I really hate to keep sounding like a broken record each year, but the staff, students and parents of Encina High School appreciate ALL of the support received from the alumni (apaches & bulldogs) . While the event itself is a fundraiser that is much needed, the partnership that has been forged has been very special. You should know that we have an advocate in Steve Palmer, as he attends booster meetings, and most recently was a representative that met with the superintendent as a result of his input from the community forums regarding the future of Encina.

Of course, the work that Bob does to organize the team and your public relations skills make the event bigger each year!!

Thanks to Paul and all of the alumni that contributed and attended this worthy cause. You all are very special!!!

Myrtle Berry, Encina Principal

ALUMNI CHALLENGE TEAM

Dave Jensen '72
Bob Goosmann '74
Steve Goff '75
Greg Grant '75
Chris Dahlberg '80
James Jones '87
Ted Novak '87
Wes Baggs '99
Ricci Dula '00

Date: Friday, April 21, 2006
Dinner: catered by Dannie's Catering
Location: Encina cafeteria
Time: 530-700 pm
Cost: FREE FREE FREE

Dannie: dannie at danniescatering.com
www.danniescatering.com
916-879-3800

Alumni challenge basketball game
Location: gym
Time: 730 pm
Cost: FREE FREE FREE
Organizers: Bob Goosmann 74 and Steve Palmer 74

Alumni team:
Bob Goosmann 74 (captain)

Videographer:
Rob Daleiden 90 and crew

Photographer:
Rollin Coxe 64

What is the Alumni Challenge?

The Alumni Challenge is a fundraising basketball game between the varsity basketball team and the alumni teamed captained by Bob Goosmann 74. In the past alumni have primarily made either flat pledges, pledges based on the score, or pledges based on the alumni team. We prefer flat pledges as we can collect them in advance and they are a known quantity, unlike pledges based on the score or individual players.

The entire event (Dinner, social and game) is free to ALL). The BBQ dinner will begin at 5:30 pm in the Encina cafeteria with the game starting at 7:30 pm.

It's sure to be an exciting game. Encina's Varsity team is strong this year and looking forward to the challenge (last year the Alumni team won in overtime!).

Who is eligible to play?

"CALL FOR PLAYERS: any alumni who graduated in 2001 or earlier and played basketball for Encina is eligible to play on the Alumni team. Preference will be given first to those who have not played in a previous Alumni Challenge. All players must be available for Saturday practice (at Encina) during the weeks leading up to the event. They must also be in reasonable condition--the game is very competitive and we are competing against players half (and in some cases one-third) our age. If you are interested in playing, contact Bob Goosmann at [email protected]."

I understand we have some fairly recent grads from the 90s who are interested in playing this year. If you are in contact with your basketball playing classmates, please let them know about the alumni challenge and encourage them to play. Three years ago the high scorer for the alumni team was Norm Siefkin from the class of 1963!

Every year we receive inquiries from female alumni who would like to play. Unfortunately, the alumni team is not co-ed. In order to field a women's team, we need someone like Bob to captain/coach/organize a women's team.

What are we raising money for?

Encina gets money for the traditional "core" classes such as math and reading . We (alumni) are providing assistance for many of the extracurricular programs, elective classes, clubs and other programs that help to enrich students' experience at Encina.

The money goes to the Encina Booster Club, who allocates the funds based on requests from students and faculty. While much of the money is allocated to sports as you would expect from a booster club, a lot of the money also goes to non-sports programs.

Funds from the 2005 Alumni Challenge were spent in the following manner:
Math Tutorials
CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) Tutorials
Library Racks (magazine and newspaper)
Art mat cutters/blades, and drying racks
Business Academy
Choir CD/DVD Burner and label maker
Festival de los Artes
Counseling
Scholarships
Homecoming Alumni Expenses
Alumni Challenge Expenses
Field Trip for American Government classes
Plus support for tall the sports (uniforms, equipment, etc.)

Here is a list of some of the programs funded in the past:
New Student Welcome Program through Counselors
Encina Art Gallery (Art Opening Receptions)
Performing Arts (Students attending local plays)
Cheerleading
Freshman Feast (a Freshman event with Senior peers/guides)
Encina Broadcasting System (EBS) (equipment and supplies)
Football
Boy's Soccer
Girl's Soccer
Girl's Softball
Girl's Volleyball
Girl's Basketball
Boy's Basketball
Basketball Tournaments
Sports Banquets
Every 15 minutes (drug/alcohol intervention)
Alumni Challenge event
The encinahighschool.com Website
SAP (Student Assistance Program)
Reading Program
Student to Ashland to participate in Shakespeare Festival
After school tutoring
Backboard replacement
Drama department (students) trip to Ashland

How do I pledge?

Send your check to:
Encina High School Booster Club
Encina High School
Attention: Heddy Crowder
1400 Bell Street
Sacramento,CA 95825

Is my contribution tax deductible?

Yes, your contribution is tax deductible. Please take advantage of your company's matching funds program if you have one to double your contribution as I do. Encina will send you a tax letter.

How effective is the Alumni Challenge?

In the past four years the alumni challenge has raised almost $150,000 for Encina!

2005: $48,000
2004: $46,000
2003: $44,000
2002: $40,000
2001: $15,000

While this is due in no small part to the generosity of alumni benefactor Paul Bonderson 70, last year we had tremendous participation with almost 200 individual alumni pledges. These pledges ranged from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. No pledge is too small, nor too large <g>.

Alumni Challenge plaque

The alumni challenge plaque recognizes the five classes who:
1. pledge the most money
2. have the most pledges

Can I pledge anonymously?

Certainly. When you write, say your pledge is anonymous. However, please let me attribute your pledge to your class so they receive credit.

Why should I contribute?

Well, I can't speak for all alumni, but I give because it makes me feel good <g>. I enjoy supporting the next generation of Encina students, the interclass competition, the funny pledges (Tom Clark 70 gave $50 for a 3 pointer I made before the last game), the pride of supporting my classmates, and the feeling that we, as Encina alumni, are doing something special for our school and the community...

So do it for the kids! And do it because it makes you feel good.

Last updated: 3/12/09