‘Selfless’ mom wants what’s best for community’s kids

When the volunteer who conducted fingerprint clearance cards for Maricopa Unified School District wasn’t available one evening, officials asked former law enforcement officer Tena Dugan to help out.

And when the school Site Council needed an extra volunteer, it was also Dugan who stepped in.

From rescuing and fostering homeless dogs to running Maricopa High School sports concession stands and helping out with the booster club, Dugan has spent much of the last decade helping out wherever she is needed.

Even as a busy mom of four teenagers and co-owner of NAPA Auto Parts, Dugan still manages to carve out time to make a difference.

“Tena Dugan is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met,” says Michelle Berquist, a local mom who volunteers in the band booster. “She cares so much about this community and the school district.”

One recent accomplishment took place last year when Tena helped streamline and unify the way in which the concession stands operate at school sporting events.

In the past, parents had to purchase the items to be sold, store the food in their homes and then set up the entire concession stand. The money from the stand’s sales would then reimburse the parents and any profits went to the group or sport which was raising the money.

Today, Maricopa Rams Booster Alliance, led by Dugan’s husband Tom and with the help of Tena, Rusty Akers, Drew and Stephanie Winner and Darris and Cheryl Pedro, takes the burden off parents by providing and setting up the concession stands  so volunteers only need to show up and start helping.

The alliance also developed creative solutions to support fundraising efforts of smaller programs, which bring in fewer people than football games and often struggle to raise money.

“There were some parents who came in for the first time last year and were like ‘We don’t know about this,’” Dugan says, “but then they were so thrilled at the end of the night.”

She adds: “Everybody who comes to our concession stand says it’s the best kept secret in the state.”

Berquist says the combined concession has been a relief.

“Before, I had to spend hours shopping for all of the products and now you just show up and it could not be easier,” Berquist says.

Dugan says the combined concessions and increased support for many clubs on campus has fostered a positive relationship among both parents and youth.

“There is a real spirit of cooperation among different programs now,” Dugan says. “It’s really about doing what’s best for the kids.”

Former Maricopa High School head football coach and athletic director and current head football coach at Tempe’s Corona del Sol Cory Nenaber helped the Dugans streamline and unify the concession stand and says it was extremely well-received.

“It allowed us to offer the same food for the same cost at every event,” Nenaber says.

Jim Irving, Maricopa Unified School District volunteer coordinator, says Dugan was one of the first people he recruited to volunteer with the schools about six years ago and that her husband Tom would often bring out his tractor and care for the athletic fields.

“They are really committed to the school,” Irving says. “They’re fantastic.”

Although the Dugan family has been loyal supporters of football and Little League, Tena Dugan also makes time to help out smaller campus teams and groups.

“Last year, we bought flowers for student council to sell and at the end of the night, they reimbursed us for the flowers and then they made the donation back into their club account,” Dugan says.

The booster also helped the cross country team obtain T-shirts and assisted the tennis team last year.

“There are no boundaries to Tena’s kindness,” Berquist says. “I wish there were more people as selfless as Tena Dugan.”