A non-profit enterprise known as the Friends of Massey-Vanier Vikings (FMVV) are raising start-up funds over Brome Fair weekend with hopes of supporting the number of sports programs that are offered at Massey-Vanier High School (MVHS).

Due to the increase in transportation costs over the years, students at MVHS are currently required to pay fees to join a sports team to help cover the costs for travelling around the region to play against other Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) schools and for the late buses that bring players home after sports practices.

For the 2022-2023 school year for example, it cost $150 per child to play basketball, according to Bob Kay, president of FMVV and former physical education teacher and coach at MVHS. “At one point, to play basketball or to play during the winter season, it was well over $300. Whereas people in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, played for free,” explained Kay. “So it’s a big difference for those kids. If you have more than one, obviously it becomes that kids don’t play because they can’t afford it, which to me is ridiculous.”

The Friends of Massey-Vanier Vikings - initiated by former MVHS student David Persons - established a board of directors made up of MVHS alumni for the exact reason of addressing this issue at MVHS. 

“That’s why we are trying to do something to pay for the kids fees. That’s what we eventually want to do,” said Kay. 

Kay, whom started working at MVHS in 1973 and was heavily involved in athletics at MVHS up until 16 years ago, said that near the end of his career the school budgets were not increasing enough to cover the rising costs of transportation. 

He eventually introduced sports fees at MVHS in the early 2000s, charging $30 to play a fall sport, $60 to play a winter sport, and around another $30 to play a spring sport, but noted that MVHS is facing “a completely different situation” now. 

“In 1973, I think I paid less than $300 for a round-trip to Lennoxville. We’d turn around and go to the districts of Waterloo, Knowlton, Granby, Cowansville, Bedford, to drop all of the kids off. Buses were full at that point. Now, it’s over $1,000 to do just to Lennoxville and back to Cowansville and the parents have to pick them up along the way,” he noted. 

In recent years, MVHS has depended on government grants to help deter these costs, particularly for the late buses.

“When I started in 1973, we started with six late buses. Closer to 2000, it went down to four, and then a few years ago there were only two and they had to pay $5 per trip. So a lot of kids weren’t taking them, the parents were picking them up, or they were doing carpools. It’s only lately that Nate (Nate Forster, athletics director at MVHS) has found grants to pay for the late buses. There are now two late buses apparently and they are both free, or they were last year,” mentioned Kay. 

Recognizing the important role that athletics play in the lives of MVHS students, FMVV’s Brome Fair fundraiser is all about raising start-up funds in order for the group to carry out its mission in bringing an end to the sports fees at MVHS and supporting the athletes of today.

Kay outlined the steps required to support players through the Friends of Massey Vanier Vikings, an organization which is just in the process of being set up.  “We’re trying to get up a website, but it takes lots of steps. It takes lawyers and notaries to create a non-profit and all of those other things that you have to go through. Once we have the website up and running, we have a lists of emails and we will send one to all of the alumni and let them know if they’re looking to donate online, which is now the way to do it,” he highlighted. 

FMVV will have a booth located just across from Derby’s Canteen where they will have pledge forms available, MVHS year books, and merchandise. For Kay, the “bottom line is that public schools should not have to pay for athletics” and he hopes that the fundraiser will see others MVHS alumni get involved with FMVV. 

“I really hope that people aren’t shy. (…) Come on over, hang out, look at your year book, buy a t-shirt, do whatever, but just become involved. It would be great and we would love to see everybody,” said Kay. 

Listen to the full interview below: