Schools

Freshman Sports Reinstatement Makes Headway

School administration working with parents hoping to see freshman sports reinstated by the fall.

Parents who had organized under the name SOS (Save Our Sports) came out in support of freshman sports at last weeks school board meeting. Freshman sports had been eliminated as a result of budget cuts and SOS was seeking approval to fund-raise to reinstate them.

 An executive meeting was held the next day with Danbury Public School's Director of Finance, Elio Longo; Athletic Director, Dan Scavone; Anne Mead, Administrator of Early Childhood Education and Extended Learning Programs; and School Superintendent Sal Pascarella to discuss the feasibility of the parents plan.

The executive staff came up with parameters that would help the plan to succeed.  The total cost of freshman sports is $82,000, but the cost could be lower due to rain, forfeits, etc.  

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Freshman sports include: Fall: girls field hockey, boys football, boys and girls soccer and girls volleyball at a cost of $43,000. Winter sports include: boys and girls basketball, wrestling and ski, at a cost of $19,000. Spring sports include boys baseball, girls softball and boys Lacrosse at a cost of $20,000.  

The full $43,000 for fall sports must be raised by August 19, by November 11 for winter sports, and by March 1 for Spring sports.

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 “If we raise enough to run the fall season, we will run the fall season. The winter is not as expensive. The amount we are asking for is the worst case scenario. The funding doesn't rule out weather or buses, so we had to be prepared for the worst,” said Chairman Irving Fox. “They have a lot of dedicated people willing to do what it takes to make this happen. They have done an awful lot of work on a very short time.”

 The website has already raised several hundred dollars. Billy Anderson, director of SOS, said, “We have opened an account with the Savings Bank of Danbury. The Board and the Superintendent are assisting us and they will be sending out an all district call.”

 “We will be putting out a district wide message to alert people about these efforts. We are crafting the message and it will be going out very soon,” said Fox.  

Anderson said, “We have about 35-40 people who have joined us. We have one more meeting to finalize the dinner and auction event. We are hoping to sell 1500 tickets for dinner and a chance drawing."  

The dinner will be held at Danbury High School on July 20, from 5-9 p.m.  On Saturday, students will be outside the Super Food Mart on North Street, and the Mill Plain Stop and Shop. Tickets are eight dollars each.  

The Danbury Public Schools, through the Adopt A School program, will be receiving community donations to support the freshman sports program. All donation checks should be made out Danbury Public Schools and in the memo area, please write: AAS Freshman Sports.

Should the fund-raising for the fall fail to make the goal, the money raised will go towards the winter session. Any extra money raised will also go towards the next season.  

For more information, to buy tickets or to participate in the dinner and auction event, call Billy Anderson at 203-702-3985 or Anne Mead, Administrator of Early Childhood Education and Extended Learning Programs, at 203-830-6508


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