As the cheers signaled the end of a recent halftime performance by the marching band at Benny Pierce field, the smell of burgers and the buttery popcorn became even more alluring to Falcon football fans. Inside the snack shack, the student volunteers could feel the impending rush of customers as they lined up outside. In his job as a drink runner, freshman Parker Huie listened for the orders and brought customers their purchased items from the back of the house to the pick-up counter.
Huie is one of roughly 20 students who volunteered this past season to work at the shack during a half dozen home football games this year. Each game has about seven student volunteers, and the 3-hour shifts are by game, so students can volunteer as many times as they’d like. Students can sign up to volunteer for each game through a Google Sheet shared weekly in principal Greg Louie’s Friday Letter.
The Snack Shack is a hotspot for students, alumni and families looking for a comforting snack or meal. Burgers are $6, hot dogs and nachos are $5 and cup noodles are $3. With this year’s sponsor, Orange Square Cupertino, the shack has also been able to offer specialty items, such as the teriyaki chicken rice bowl for $10 and popcorn chicken for $6.
Even with the swarm of customers, the service is orderly and efficient thanks to the volunteer parents and students.
Parents, usually of football players, lead the volunteer program; one of them is Snack Shack coordinator Shelley Warneck.
Parents cook items such as burgers and hot dogs on the barbeque grill or work at the front windows as cashiers for both food and Saratoga High-branded merchandise, while student volunteers hurry around in the back to prepare and serve food and drinks to customers.
Students are assigned a variety of jobs, including managing the nacho or popcorn machine, preparing Cup Noodles or wrapping burgers and hot dogs.
Many students choose to volunteer at the shack to fulfill part of the six volunteer hours required for freshman year Driver’s Education. The former lead snack shack coordinator even made arrangements with Health and Driver’s Education teacher Amy Obenour in 2023 to offer this opportunity for students.
For Huie, the opportunity also gave him a reason to come out to the football game.
“It was memorable, and I got to hang out with other people who were volunteering there, too,” Huie said. “It’s a pretty cool experience and a good way to get your volunteer hours.”
On busier occasions such as Homecoming, siblings of football players and community volunteers through Nextdoor — a social networking service for neighborhoods — are also welcome to help out.
The Snack Shack operates as a fundraiser for the football team, and all proceeds go to paying for expenses such as referees, team buses, uniforms, practice equipment and team dinners.
The consistent portion sizes and safety of the food being sold is imperative, which is why students receive basic training for their assigned station before each game.
According to Warneck, some students love the experience so much they volunteer for both JV and varsity games. Some don’t even ask to record their hours as they’re simply volunteering for fun.
“The student volunteers play a key role in the Snack Shack’s success and operations. They work so hard, especially during our busiest times. We have lots of laughs and fun in the snack shack, too,” Warneck said. “I’m so grateful for all the student volunteers because we wouldn’t be able to run a football Snack Shack without them.”
