By Carol Anders Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — Plymouth Schools Superintendent Dan Tyree spent the morning Labor Day parking cars at Plymouth High School — the same thing he has been doing since 1988.
Tyree was the PHS speech coach when the now annual parking fundraiser started.
“It was Karen Plothow (cheerleading), Bob Pickell (choir) and I who put together the plans the first year” he said. “We charged $2 per car then, and made about $ 1,000.”

The fee is now $5 per car and, according to Tyree and current speech and debate coach David McKenzie, a typical year brings in $10,000 to $12,000.
“The most we ever made was $60,000,” Tyree said, but there have been challenges over the years due to rainy days and nights and working around the construction during the PHS building project.
“This is really the best kind of fundraiser,” he said. “When you look at the license plates in our parking lots, there are only a handful from Marshall County; that means the dollars are coming from out of the community and out of state.”
Several clubs at PHS share in the profits each year. Tyree said the school gets 50 percent, the Moose Lodge gets 30 percent and the Blueberry Festival receives 20 percent each year. The Moose Lodge provides tram services from the parking lot to the festival grounds and the Blueberry Committee covers a variety of other costs such as the rental of golf carts and security.
“It’s been a great partnership with the Blueberry Festival Committee,“ said Tyree. “We do a number of reciprocal things, such as allowing them to use school grounds for the hot air balloon lifts and setting up a first aid station at Jefferson School.”
He said there were two trams in the early years that were built locally by the late Ray Gangloff. Now, the trams are commercially built and include provisions for both handicapped patrons and baby strollers.
Tyree said, “The parking has grown tremendously and we get better and better at it. Most of the problems come from a few angry people and those who don’t realize there are no dogs allowed on the festival grounds or that can be left in cars in the parking lot. You have to develop really good public relation skills.”
Students involved in the various activities are expected to work at least one shift of parking over the four-day event.
McKenzie said, “Some end up working three or four shifts.”
McKenzie said Fridays — opening day of the festival — it takes 50 students and at least 12 adults to handle the parking.
That number increases to 175 students and 50 adults Saturday and 200 students and 55 adults Sunday.
On the last day of the festival, the lot is worked by some 60 students and 20 adults.
McKenzie said it also takes 30 students and five adults each day for four days leading up to the festival to set-up the grounds and at least 40 students and 10 volunteer adults and club sponsors to tear down and store items.
Tyree declared that this was the last year he would be participating. He went from being a coach to volunteering as a parent for his children Katie, Nancy and Jon. Both girls have graduated and Jon is now a senior. However, those who know Tyree aren’t convinced that he can really stay away.