CBS 21 Community

In addition to a $50 registration fee, the Greenwood-Newport Midget Football Association expects parents to raise $130. Their primary fundraiser is a rifle raffle. A $10 dollar ticket gives the purchaser a chance to win one of 31 rifles, or a cash alternative. Is this appropriate?

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Melissa
Administrator

I think this perfectly fine.  Perry County and surrounding areas have a large hunting population.  The children are not selling guns, they also are not responsible for handling them.  This fundraiser has been used in the past, without problems, there is no reason for it not to continue.  The parent(s) who object to it, if they are able to afford it, can pay the $130.  Most parents cannot afford that kind of money, so if they can raise it, that is wonderful.  It would be a shame for the program to end due to lack of funds.  There have been worse fundraisers done by other organizations I am sure.

 

First thing is first. The Greenwood-Newport MFA has one of the cheapest registration fees in midget football. One of the other teams in the same league charges $150.00 for pee-wee, pony & midget. $100 for the smurf level & $25 per sibling. Cheerleading is $55.00 plus $10 per sibling.. That is correct, It comes right out of the parents pocket. No chance to recoup any money for registration. I believe $50.00 plus the option sell raffle tickets instead of paying for it out of my pocket is great. I commend the organization!!!!!!!!This particular raffle gives a supporter the chance to win 31 guns as long as you pass all the federal clearances or take the cash equivalent. The final prize is a 4 wheeler and trailer. You get 2 numbers on 1 ticket for $10.00. Winners are determined by the PA big 4 number. That is AWESOME!!!!

  Let me explain how the buyout of $130.00 came about. The last couple of years the organization charged $50 registration and handed out the raffle tickets to the parents to sell without a buyout. Only about 2/3 of the tickets were sold. Many parents brought the entire stack of tickets back on the last day to turn in money for the tickets that were sold. That’s right not one ticket sold. That is pathetic!!!! The organization was still committed to give all of the guns away if the numbers were hit. The 4 wheeler and trailer were guaranteed to be given away. The winner is determined by a drawing held at the last home football game.1 of the stubs from all raffle tickets that were sold is drawn.

 I am sorry the Diaz family feels so strongly about the raffle tickets. I sure hope they sold the tickets that allowed their daughter to cheer the last couple of years. Otherwise they are part of the problem the organization had to implement the buyout. I found it to be my personal experience that the same 200 people continue to make the program work while the other 100 sit on the sidelines and complain. Maybe they can donate the thousands of dollars it takes to pay for: Insurance, portable bathrooms, PIAA refs, lawn care & then for each football player: shoulder pads, helmets. Practice jersey, practice pants, game pants, 2 game jerseys rib guards, girdle, 7 pads, belt & a mouth piece. Then you need to have the helmets and shoulder pads sent out and reconditioned. The cheerleaders are not cheap either. The spent about $175 a girl for the entire package. This included Skirt, Top, Briefs, socks Warm-up pants for cold weather and a bag to carry this stuff.

 I think it is a great opportunity to take the time to explain to your children the importance of supporting your organization as well as explaining the importance of firearms safety. Education about gun saftey, NOT IGNORANCE!!!

 PLEASE, BEFORE YOU CAUSE PROBLEMS, COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. MY CHILDREN AND MY WIFE AND I APPRECIATE THE ASSOCIATION AND ALL THE VOLENTEERS THAT SELL THE TICKETS SO OUR CHILDREN HAVE TOP QAULITY EQUIPTMENT TO PREVENT AS MANY INJURIES AS POSSIBLE.

 

I feel that there is nothing wrong with a child selling a gun raffle ticket.  The children aren't using the gun. As another person stated in this forum, there are the standard background checks when the winner receives the gun.   More people are killed in car accidents than gun accidents so maybe concerned people should concentrate on automobile safety instead of worrying about a football team trying to make it affordable for children to participate.  I also feel that CBS 21 is trying to make a big deal out of nothing.  Surely there are more news worthy items to address.

I can not believe the parents in this organization would take part in this type of fundraiser.  Firearms and Children in the same sentence can never be a good combination.  What type of parents are these to allow their children to be associated with this.  I have been a fundraiser chairperson for at least 20 yrs for various youth organizations and have had great success.  I have NEVER considered any fundraiser that deals with anything dangerous or gives the children the impression that its okay to promote dangerous things.  I have done the sub sales but there are other things to sell that bring in a lot of money and it isn't a bad thing.  I can't believe this person got away with this for 3 yrs.  What kind of community is this?   

This is a raffle ticket the kids are selling......just a piece of paper.  It's not like the kids are carrying around the rifles and shotguns and knocking on doors.  I think it's a great way to raise money for the organization.  The winners of the guns will have to pass the same background check that all buyers of guns must pass in PA.  The guns will be picked up at the dealer's place of business.  The children will not be handling the guns.    

This isn't news, just another example of CBS21's "politically correct" agenda. 

i am a concered aunt. my nephew is on the greenwood football team and my neice is a cheerleader. and i think the gun raffling is a great way to raise money because around this area many people hunt. maybe some of the parents should get off there lazy butts and help raise the money instead of complaining about how its being raised. other school districts have gun raffling and they dont have a problem with it. i think this is a great way they came up with to raise money and if anyone else has a better idea they should do it.

Kimbra Boozel

Absolutely!  There are many expenses this type of organization must pay: From insurance to equipment to uniforms and medical supplies, the list is never ending. Fund raisers are a necessary entity for any organization, whether it be football, band, soccer, dance, etc.  There are only so many pizzas, candy bars, subs, etc to be bought & sold especially if a child is involved in more than one organization. Who buys this stuff? The parents and friends and co-workers of the parents. Kudos to these folks for finding a new raffle to support their organization. Children are not winning these rifles, the adults are. But who is ultimately benefitting? THE KIDS! Come on people, stop trying to be so politically correct. Fork over the $130 per child out of your own pocket or sell a raffle ticket to an avid hunter. Its a win-win in my book! 

racingmarey and many of the posters just don't get it. I actually bought one of these tickets from a girl. I was glad to do so. I am also a fundraising coordinator for a school in this area and do not know what is wrong with some people when it comes to things like this. First, you are only selling a raffle ticket. It is not like these kids are walking around with guns and are going to go out and shoot someone. They are only tickets. The winners even has the option for a cash prize. In the Perry/Juniata Co. area gun raffle tickets sell easy. I would rather purchase one of these raffle tickets than the junk that some other organizations sell that I have no use for. For anyone that does not like the idea can make a simple donation. Additionally, any gun winners must pass the background checks to even pickup the gun from the gun dealer. I know this since I won a gun raffle in the past. I have hunted and been around guns all my life and learned early as a kid about gun saftey from my family. In case many of you do not know it, the legal hunting age in PA for a junior license holder is 12 years old. Most parents in Perry/Juniata County, including myself, take their younger kids along with them hunting. Through the PA Game Commission's mentored youth program kids younger than 12 can even shot an animal by using their parents gun. This is a good program that teaches kids about gun saftey at a young age. Guns are only dangerous in the wrong hands. Look at the gun crimes statistics, it is not the hunters in Perry and Juniata counties causing the majority of the gun crimes. Most of the crimes are coming from the metropolitan areas where the kids do not learn about hunting and gun safety at a young age. This organization is not breaking any laws. Put the criminals behind bars and leave the rest of the honest citizens alone. If you do not like it, just don't buy the tickets and mind you own business. Leave this organization trying fund their program alone!

   You hit it right on the head. I have been dealing with kids sports for over 25 years and I agree with the fundraising catagories. Most people that I know are so sick and tired of kids selling subs, ham and cheese sandwiches, and etc. but that is not the issue.

   This organization was developed by people that have the utmost love of children, no one on the board would do anything to hurt children in any aspect. People need to think before they decide to stir up trouble until they have all the facts.  There is so much going on in this community that parents need to be worried about than a darn rifle raffle.  This is Perry County for God's sake!!!!!!!!!! I am not a hunter and I don't like it but I understand why we need it.

   Since this organization was founded, I have witnessed such idiotic complaints from parents and from some people in the community than I have ever witnessed in all my years of watching and participating in the sports venue.  Those of you that need to complain either think first before you complain, start respecting the people who are giving their time to these kids( because those of you that don't are giving your children the wrong message about important morals)or explain it to your kids on why you don't want them involved. If parents would stop introducing such disrespect towards people and let the kids be kids and have fun we wouldn't have such stupid issues in life.

   Everyone is intitiled to their opinion but on the other hand you need to respect everyone else's !!!!!!!!

   I have also come across so many parents who sit back and complain about something but none of them will volunteer their time to help out or help change things.  

   Also the organization would never turn a kid away from participating in this sport, if you absolutely need help in paying the money, I can vouch that everyone on the board would help that child and his family make that kids dream come true.

     SO, PARENTS THINK, THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU IT IS ABOUT KIDS THAT WANT AND NEED TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND IF THEY CHOOSE THIS ORGANIZATION, RESEARCH EVERYTHING ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU MAKE RASH JUDGEMENTS, IT IS THAT SIMPLE AND LET YOUR CHILD ENJOY BEING A GREENWOOD BUFFALO FOOTBALL PLAYER OR CHEERLEADER !!!!!!!!!!!!!

  A very concerned Grandmother and the President's Mother-in-law(Gammy-Gam loves you and everything you do and stand for) True concern for Childrens's Dreams!!!!

PS. I am very proud of everything this organization stands for and has brought to this community because it is definitely for Children who love the game of football!!!!

PSS.Why wasn't there more CONCERN  about the THEFT of the sign that let everyone know where the field was for the Football games.

As a parent of a former midget player and of a current smurf player, thank goodness the organization gives us an oppurtunity to raise the money rather than raise the registration fee. I find this to be an effective fundraiser, considering the large hunting population in this area. Our kids are simply selling an oppurtunity to win a gun or cash option, with a bonus four-wheeler at the end making this an even more attractive ticket. I wonder how many of these parents opposed to this ticket are willing to just hand over car keys to a 16 year old which posses more danger than a gun in an educated persons hands. If so opposed to the organizations fundraiser then just donate the $130 to the organization and that keeps you from supporting a belief  that you are so opposed to.

Wow. Kids that hunt are less likely than other kids to do drugs or commit crimes. You can never own enough guns as far as I am concerned. Owning guns teaches kids responsibility. Guns aren't the problem in our culture. Somebody PM me and I will buy ten raffle tickets!

we are a great community u do not need to take the fire arm we are also offering  a cash prize if you dont care to receive a firearm

As a board member for a CFA team it is difficult to get even 50% of the parents involved in any of the fundraisers that are offered.  I do not think selling rifle raffle tickets is a bad thing.  Maybe if more parents were involved by going to board meetings and offering suggestions on different fund raising opportunities the would not need to sell these tickets.  As for the thinking that guns and kids do not mix.  Again, it is up to the parent to teach their children about firearm safety.  Parents should not sit on the side lines and complain to other parents, you should go to the meetings and see what great things we (midget football) does for your children and that every year it is a struggle to keep these great organizations going for your kids!