PDHS booster club catches flak for choice of sponsor

Thanks to local businesses, the pain in the wallet is a bit lighter for the parents of the Palm Desert High School Cheer Team.

The PDHS booster club is in charge of a banner program which provides signage for local businesses in exchange for financial assistance with the school’s athletic program. But a few sponsors of the banner program have raised some eyebrows and led to a concerned call from a parent to KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2.

The sponsors in question are breweries and a beverage consulting firm, and parents aren concerned about the optics and potential influence that these banners might have on their kids.

“I think their concerns are they just don’t want children drinking and driving at such a young…or drinking and driving period to be honest,” said Kaylene Gustafson, a PDHS parent. “They’re probably more worried that they’re not legally allowed to drink until they’re 21…so from their point of view they’re probably saying why show it to them? Why advertise it?”

The business owner behind the banner is a PDHS parent himself, and didn’t mean any harmful intent with the advertising.

“The last thing we want to do is have anything that harms children or is impactful in that way,” said Christopher Anderson.

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