What is OUR Los Al?
OUR Los Al (Organizations United to Renew Los Alamitos High School) was founded in 2001 by local parents to support activities and improve facilities at Los Alamitos High School. In 2013 it expanded its mission to support activities in the Greater Los Alamitos/Los Alamitos School District Community.
In 2001, OUR Los Al organized the first Taste for Los Al. The idea allows organizations to raise more money at a single large event and also allows local restaurants to get more bang for their contributions. Boosters keep most of the ticket price. The balance goes to OUR Los Al which handles all logistics, and event expenses (fences, port-a-potties, tents, lighting, insurance, permits, etc.)
Booster clubs can also raise monies by selling gear, silent auction items, raffle tickets, etc.
With whatever monies are left after expenses are paid, OUR Los Al has funded facilities and equipment which benefit multiple activities. These include aerial surveys to determine campus drainage, the master plan for the all-weather track (opened in 2013), money for a new gym scoreboard in the gym, and facility improvements for softball, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse and more.
OUR Los Al also helped establish the Los Al HS Hall of Fame in 2008.
Tell us about the Taste
Since 2001 the Taste FOR Los Al showcases the food of the top restaurants in the greater Los Alamitos school community. Attendees enjoy unlimited samples from around forty of the area’s finest establishments. Participating booster club raise money through ticket sales, gear sales, raffles and a silent auction. Beer and wine (and water and non-alcoholic beverages) are also available.
Since 2008, The Taste has been held on the back parking lot at the Shops of Rossmoor (behind Sprouts) so comfortable shoes are recommended.
Is a ticket to The Taste for Los Al tax deductible?
Yes. OUR Los Al is a 501c(3) non-profit organization and donations are tax deductible to “the fullest extent allowed by the law.” Our Federal Tax ID is 91-2154459. Money paid to purchase silent auction items from individual booster clubs may also be deductible. Please consult your tax advisor for details.
Is the Taste handicap accessible?
Yes – the Taste is on a flat, parking lot suitable for wheelchairs and electric scooters – although the ground can be a little bumpy. The Taste has accessible restrooms. Contact taste4losal@gmail.com for more details.
Can people under 21 attend the Taste?
Because alcohol is served there is no admittance for anyone under the age of 21, with the exception of an infant who is carried by an adult. Because they have resulted in persons being inadvertently tripped, no strollers are allowed.
- Backpacks and purses are subject to search by the professional security crew
Where can I purchase tickets for the Taste For Los Al?
Starting in early August tickets can only be purchased through participating booster clubs at Los Alamitos High School. Beginning in September tickets can be purchased online at www.tasteforlosal.com. General admission tickets will be available at the door, but ticket prices will be higher than if purchased online.
How can Booster Clubs make money through this event?
Clubs or support groups can make money by at least four different ways.
- By just selling tickets.
- For every $60 ticket sold, a club keeps a minimum of $30
- Silent auction;
- “Gear” table (gear sales, raffle, money tree, etc.);
- Sponsorships. If you get a business to be a sponsor at the Taste, your group keeps half of the sponsor money as a commission.
After booster groups get their money, where does the rest of the money go?
OUR Los Al uses the balance of the event revenues to 1) pay event expenses (tables, linens, restaurant supplies, electrical, bathrooms, insurance, printing — approximately $55,000 last year); and 2) raise money for school facilities. Since 2001, OUR Los Al and The Taste for Los Al have helped raise and distribute nearly $4 million to help Griffin activities and facilities.
Do any individuals make any money from The Taste for Los Al?
For years, no OUR Los Al Board member or Taste for Los Al committee member received one cent of salary or money from the event, beyond out-of-pocket reimbursement. In 2009, because the event had grown to such a point, we started paying some people. The money paid is less than 10% of the event ticket revenues.
Why two ticket deadlines with different $$ returns?
The purpose is to motivate clubs to get in their information and ticket counts in a timely manner so we can:
- get a solid estimate of how many tables, chairs, etc to order;
- let restaurants know how much food to prepare
- make a complete list of who has bought tickets that we can have it at the front gate in case of discrepancies
- minimize paperwork prior to the event, and get money back to clubs sooner
Can a club require its parents to buy tickets?
No. It is against California State law to mandate that a player or parent purchase an item to participate in a public high school activity.
You hand out the tickets to the clubs for free. What prevents people from not paying for the ticket but still using it?
Every ticket is numbered. We know exactly which group and which family in that group has each ticket. So if an unpaid for ticket shows up at the event, the value of that ticket is deducted from the club’s return. The club then collects its money from the parent who was given the ticket.
When can we expect our ticket revenue back?
We wait 10 business days to see if any checks bounce and for post-event accounting. Once that is done, we will have a check disbursal/photo opportunity in mid-November.
Why do clubs have to pay $60 for each silent auction table?
The price covers the amortized costs of the table, the linen, the tent, and the lighting. The costs are deducted from the payout AFTER the event.
If clubs get someone to donate an item to the silent auction, do they have to complete or sign anything?
Except for setting up the venue — the tent, and the lighting, etc. and this year the mobile bidding — the silent auction is run by the individual booster clubs. We can provide some sample donation solicitation letters but each club is responsible for finalizing its own letter for donations, using their own non-profit ID# and putting down their own contact information.
Do we need to provide volunteers on the day of the event?
Yes, each club should provide some volunteers for a single two-hour shift on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday. It is good for community service hours.
How do you determine grant eligibility?
OUR Los Al has made some grants to facility projects involving multiple booster clubs. Past grants have been for Scoreboards, windscreens, wrestling mats, backstops, baseball locker room, the all-weather track, soccer/lacrosse field improvements, etc.
- OUR Los Al Board only makes grants for “big-ticket” Equipment/capital requests.
- OUR Los Al will not consider grants for annual operating expenses, coaches fees, uniforms, championship rings, etc.
- Grant requests must come from the parents, on club stationery, and include the scope of the project, proper bid documentation (quotes), and other sources of financing.
- Booster groups must provide a significant amount of the total required for the entire grant project.
- There are no “official” priorities, but we do give weight to a group that participates in the Taste, and takes full advantage of the many fund-raising opportunities at the Taste (Ticket sales, raffle, silent auction, sponsorship, etc.) and towards projects that benefit multiple groups, and to projects that can be enjoyed by the entire community.
If a parent group wants more information about a possible grant, contact us at taste4losal@gmail.com or larrystrawther@gmail.com.
If you have any other questions, please send them to taste4losal@gmail.com.