Dinsmore Auto Group Donates $20,000 to Support Yelm High School Athletics and Preserve C-Teams in “No Kids Left Behind” Fundraiser
YELM, WA – Dinsmore Auto Group donated $20,000 to Total Sports Development, a 501(c)3, on Tuesday. The funds were part of a fundraiser to assist in the Yelm High School Athletic Department from cutting C-Teams from the football, volleyball, soccer, and basketball programs. “I first saw it on the news and then heard through our relationship with the Yelm School District and we learned what the need was so we decided to step in and help out,” owner Ken Dinsmore said. “My kids were involved in sports at an early age and taught them a lot of life-lessons, work ethic, a lot of management skills and how to deal with people. I think it’s super important that the kids have an opportunity to compete and learn and grow. It’s a big part of my upbringing so we don’t want to let kids not have those opportunities.”The Yelm Community Schools educational programs and operations levy was on the ballot in February and April, failing both times. The levy would have provided funding for athletics, activities, mental health services and special education, as well as staffing, according to a YelmOnline.com on April 30. The “No Kid Left Behind” fundraiser was announced Tuesday, August 6 to combat the lost funds with the failed levy and raised over $40,000 through private donations through Zeffy.com as of August 13, not including Dinsmore’s contribution. TSD will meet with the Yelm School District to ensure all funds are budgeted and allocated correctly and efficiently. The goal was $50,000 based on a preliminary evaluation of last year’s costs and accounting for rising costs.“We’re going to meet with the district office and we’re going to make sure that we look at last year’s cost expenditures and make sure, at minimum, we match that,” Jason Ronquillo, Yelm High School football coach and TSD Vice President said. “We want to be very specific on where this money goes. … You have coaches, referees, umpires and it could be facilities and custodial costs on the weekends when we get into basketball season.”Yelm High School, a Class 4A school this year, has a student population of around 1,700 with approximately 650 participating in athletes last school year. Cutting the C-Teams would have impacted about 150-200 student-athletes at the school, mostly freshmen who rely on the lower-level teams to learn and fine-tune fundamentals necessary for success on higher-level teams. “(The C-Teams are) highly important,” Ronquillo said. “This is their first introduction to high school. When you’re a freshman, and 14 or 15 years old, and you’re coming in to a new environment, you want a connection when you come in. You want some sort of relationship before you’re bombarded with 1700 other students. This season, soccer, volleyball, football, it gives them a connection to the school prior to them starting.”Dinsmore Auto Group owns and operates seven dealership locations in the South Sound area: two Chevrolet franchise locations, including Northwest Chevrolet in McKenna, three Mazda franchise locations, and two used car dealerships.
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