Samuel Gagliardi – 5/17/12

This page was last updated on May 17, 2012.

Helping hand needed; Samuel Gagliardi; Beaver County Times; May 17, 2012. An editor’s note asserts, “The writer is the mayor of Baden.”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Upon recently leaving a business in Ambridge, I was approached by two young men in Ambridge High School baseball uniforms soliciting donations. To my astonishment, I was told the baseball and other sports teams, without district financing, must pay for their uniforms, shoes, equipment and any associated expenses to remain an Ambridge Area team.”

[RWC] I did not research this issue beyond what Mr. Gagliardi wrote in his letter.

“To the thousands of student athletes who passed through the halls of Ambridge High School and experienced the many benefits of district-financed athletic programs, resulting in lifetime sports programs an abundance of college scholarships and, most importantly, student and districtwide Bridger pride, this approach of self financing teams is demeaning to witness them asking strangers for donations to fund their school-sponsored team.”

[RWC] I have to agree it’s demeaning to send the teams out to beg, and it sends a bad message to those team members. The “student athletes” are told to beg for what they need/want, not to earn it.

I’m not a fan of begging. Another version of begging is the “tag sale.” Why not sell something – either good or service – people would really like to buy? When I was in high school, the band raised funds by selling candy. So did my Boy Scout troop (423). We – and our parents – didn’t need to do much arm-twisting to sell Anderson’s Candies. It was a win-win-win situation. The customers won because they got something they wanted without leaving the house. Anderson’s Candies won because they made sales they would not have otherwise. Finally, we Scouts won because we got the funds needed to buy camping equipment like tents, cooking gear, et cetera. Let’s also remember the Girl Scout cookie sale.

“The student athletes funding their individual teams are commendable. Hopefully, a helping hand from the district will be reconsidered to provide the necessary funding for district sports teams.”