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Hitting the road: Gowanda approves three more student trips

By Braden Carmen 5 min read

GOWANDA -- Student trips are becoming a popular item on the agenda for the Gowanda Board of Education.

The Senior Class Trip was the first trip of the 2023-24 school year to receive attention from the Gowanda Board of Education at a meeting, but it is now far from the only one. Three presentations for trips were given to the Board at a recent meeting before all three trips were later approved.

"I'm really glad to see all the opportunities for students to travel and experience things outside of the village and the district," said Board of Education Vice President Dollene Christopher.

Board member John Waterman Jr. added, "I definitely think that travel is a nice portion of a student's activities, and I fully support them."

First to present was the Gowanda Trap Team. The team is headed to Cicero for the 2024 Trap Team State Tournament, June 7-8, 2024, at the Bridgeport Rod and Gun Club.

The team will likely depart from Gowanda the morning of Friday, June 7 for a three-hour ride to Cicero, just north of Syracuse. Parents/guardians of the team will drive their children to the event or carpool with other families.

The team anticipates 7-10 students attending the tournament, which features more than 140 eligible schools and over 1,200 competitors in all. The tournament requires a minimum of two coaches per team.

District funds will cover the cost of registration and ammunition, estimated at $1,170 of total district funds for the trip.

Fundraising accounts for the team will cover the hotel costs for an overnight stay Friday night, June 7, into Saturday morning of the trip. Families can also opt to camp at the state tournament grounds with full RV hookups. Fundraising will also cover food costs Friday night. Saturday morning, the team will eat breakfast at the hotel. Saturday afternoon, the team is provided lunch by the parents and coaches at the tournament.

Next to present to the Board was the defending New York State Champion Gowanda Panthers softball team. The 2024 team plans to attend the annual James "Ace" Morabito Softball Tournament May 4-5 at the Broome County Softball Complex in Binghamton.

"This is a very prestigious tournament, and only the top teams in the state are invited, so we are very proud to be receiving this invitation and we would hate to give it up," said Panthers senior catcher Ella Luther.

As part of the weekend tournament, the team would play four games against some of the state's elite teams.

"Given that this tournament takes place before playoffs, it will prepare us for the season. We will be playing the top teams in the state," said Panthers junior infielder Holland Browning. "This is clearly a big opportunity for the team. ... Hopefully, playing these challenging teams will allow us to be two-time State Champions."

The team is evaluating whether to contract a bus driver for the weekend or to rely on parent transportation for the event. One driver has already volunteered, if needed. Food, transportation, and lodging costs will be covered by fundraisers. The team anticipates needing three hotel rooms for players and one room for coaches, with a possible additional room for a bus driver, if needed.

The tournament also carries a $1,000 entry fee, along with vouchers for umpires and other costs. The team hopes those costs will also be covered by fundraisers, rather than out of the team's softball budget of approximately $3,100. The team's main fundraiser this year will be a youth softball clinic held at the district, which the team hopes will raise the majority of the $3,000 in approximate funds needed to fully cover the trip.

"A lot of little girls have shown a lot of interest in the sport now because of us, so we want to teach them a little bit. I think a lot of people will come out," Luther said of the fundraising softball clinic.

Head coach Mike Maloney, the reigning Class C Coach of the Year in New York State, also noted the local Little League youth softball program has tripled its sign-ups since the previous year.

Finally, the Board received a presentation for the eighth grade class trip to Washington, D.C., set for the weekend of April 19-21. The estimated cost for the trip is $579 per person. Parents are welcomed at the same cost.

The trip features three days of activities, beginning with a visit to Arlington Cemetery on Friday, April 19. Students will tour the cemetery and witness the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After that, students will head out on a sightseeing tour of the nation's capital.

On Day 2 of the trip, sightseeing will continue throughout the day, including a visit to the White House, the Library of Congress, and Ford's Theater. The students will also take a private tour of the interior of the Capitol. The day concludes with a dinner cruise on the Potomac River.

The third and final day of the trip includes a visit of the Smithsonian National Museums, including the Air and Space Museum and the International Spy Museum. The group will then return home to Gowanda that evening.

Individual fundraisers including various sales of fruit, coffee, cookie dough, and zap-a-snacks will all contribute to the trip. Collective group fundraisers such as a spaghetti dinner, a pulled pork barbecue, and the Boosters Pancake Fundraiser will also aid in the process, along with a parent-sponsored frozen pizza fundraiser.

A parent meeting will be held at a later date to share more information.

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