Donna Hays finds a good reason to get out of bed and go to work every day.

    Make that 300,000 reasons.

    Hays, the Executive Director of the Bengal Athletic Boosters Club, has a hand in every dollar earned by the Club, which totals more than $300,000 annually.

    “It’s a small drop in the bucket for what we have to raise,” Hays said. “(But) it’s a big deal. It’s what keeps me going.”

    And that money goes directly to help fund scholarships for the many student-athletes that don the orange and black.

    Now entering her 14th year with Idaho State (fifth in her current position), Hays is always looking for new ways to raise funds while also continuing the events and activities that have been successful in the past.

    For example, the Orange and Black Golf Classic continues this year. It will take place Aug. 10 and 11, at Highland Golf Course the first day and Juniper Hills Country Club the second.

    Participants can play both days or just one. A group of four pays $75 per golfer and can golf either Saturday or Sunday. To participate in both days of the event, the cost is $125 per golfer for a two-person scramble.

    You won’t be alone on the course, either.

    “(Head football coach) Mike Kramer and (men’s basketball assistant) Tim Walsh are going to play,” Hays said. “(Head soccer) coach Allison Gibson is going to play as well, but she has an alumni game that day.”

    But that’s what makes the Bengal Boosters Club exciting for members, the opportunity to interact with their favorite ISU leaders.

    “The coaches are going to be there,” Hays said. “All of the coaches in one way or another help out.”

    That Saturday night, after the Golf Classic, the Boosters will host a barbecue. It is part of the Bengal Athletics Kickoff Party that will take place at the Idaho Orthopedics and Sports Clinic, P.A., directly in front of Holt Arena. The cost is $10 a person for non-members.

    Hays promises loads of fun as a local music group — the Kyd J Band — will perform.

    “At the Kickoff, you get dinner, beverages and the band. We also sell some of our vintage Bengal gear,” she said. “We (also) have a silent auction. We have some stuff from Jared Allen, Marvin Lewis, Tiger Woods and Colin Kaepernick. I have a Peyton Manning signed picture to auction off.”

    These events are made possible thanks to sponsors.

    “Idaho Orthopedics and Sports Clinic, P.A. is the presenting sponsor for our (golf) tournament,” Hays said. “ISU Federal Credit Union, Phil Meador Toyota, Marvin Lewis, Watkins Distributing, TEC Distributing, the Sandtrap and Mama Inez are also sponsors.”

    Aug. 26 is the Sixth Annual BenGAL Clinic, which provides women the opportunity to learn more about the game of football from Kramer himself.

    “He gives them a pep talk and gets them excited,” Hays said. “Last year he had them in pads. I don’t think we’ll do that this year.”

    To register for the BenGAL Clinic, visit isubengals.com or call the office. The cost is $40 per person, which includes a T-shirt.

    Hays says there is a lot of support for what she and the rest of the Bengal Boosters are doing. She added there is a lot of excitement surrounding ISU athletics, referencing the Big Sky champion Bengal soccer team.

    “We have a lot of loyal fans,” she said. “I think the community is really interested in getting involved. We’re doing really well and these scholarships go a long way.”

    There are many ways to get involved. The cost for a Bengal Athletic Booster membership ranges anywhere from $75 up to $10,000.

   “There are more perks for donating more,” she said. “Ten dollars is ‘Friends of the Bengals’ level. Then you start getting parking passes, pins and other goodies.”

    Fans can also attend tailgates before home football games.

    “The tailgating is great,” Hays said. “We have competitions, and it’s growing every year.”

    Hays is also planning a new event called Bengals Have Talent, which resembles NBC’s television show America’s Got Talent.

    “We’re going to do it in December. It’ll be a dinner,” she said. “The athletes will show off their talents off the field or court. There are some talented kids.”

    As Idaho State’s athletic administration gears up for another school year, Hays is right there to help fund the dreams of student-athletes. And if you ask her, running the Bengal Athletic Boosters Club was always her dream job.

    “This was kind of a natural for me. I’ve always been a Bengal fan, so this was an easy move,” she said. “The best part is I get to work with the fans who have been with us through thick and thin.”

    And she wants others to join in on the fun.

    “We want everybody to be with us,” Hays said. “We’re doing great.”