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MARQUETTE -- A little more than one percent of Marquette Area Public School's general fund is allocated to its athletics.

Another revenue source for school athletics that sometimes goes under the radar is the booster club.  Most schools have one; its goal is simply to raise extra funds for sports.  And as more and more schools find themselves strapped for cash, the booster club is more important than ever.

The Marquette High School baseball program is self-funded, meaning it receives no money from the general fund.  It relies on private funding and cash from the booster club to stay swinging.

"It's very important that the mission stay clean and clear:  that the job of the booster club is to support athletics in any way that they can," says Gail Anthony, outgoing co-president and treasurer of the MAPS booster club.

So whether it's money from raffles and concessions at sporting events or generous donations from the community, the booster club is there to help.

"Maybe it's travel downstate, maybe it's staying over at a hotel; for instance, the baseball team will be traveling for districts to Traverse City, so they've requested some dollars to help with expenses when they have to spend the night in Traverse City," says Jamie Tuma, MAPS Athletic Coordinator.

Volunteering for the booster club is also a great way for parents to stay active in the community and in their child's life.

"Students aren't always real excited to have their parents around, so this is a way that, behind the scenes, we can help our student athletes excel and the coaches as well.  It's just a win-win for everybody," Anthony says.

So why join your school's booster club?

"When you are part of a team that represents your school and your school district and then someone comes along to support that, it just makes the whole district more cohesive, I think," Tuma says.

If you're interested in joining the booster club, it meets the first Monday of every month at 5:15 p.m. at Marquette High School.  You can join for as little as $10.