BASEBALL: Legion needs an assist

An open letter to the community of Coeur d’Alene:

The purpose of this letter is to ask for help. One issue the Coeur d’Alene American Legion Baseball Program is facing is the loss of our ability to rent vans to transport the players to tournaments and away games. Rental companies will no longer rent to groups transporting children under the 12th grade. Our goal is to purchase a van in the future; we are just not prepared to do this financially at this time. We are open to ideas from the community for help and are willing to do whatever it takes to give back for that help. This was literally a curveball we did not see coming, but we will get back in the box and keep swinging. Any help is appreciated and will be well received.

The Cd’A American Legion Baseball Program is sponsored by American Legion Post 14 in Coeur d’Alene. We are so thankful for their support and service to our country. Coeur d’Alene American Legion Baseball has taught many young Americans the importance of sportsmanship, good health, and active citizenship while playing baseball at the highest level.

The Legion baseball program consists of four teams, ages 13-19, and travels through the west and northwest. We average 58 players through the program every year. Each player is asked to raise their player fees through sponsorships. These sponsorships range from selling advertising to local businesses in the Legion program to the player’s family sponsoring them, and many options in between. These sponsorship fees account for approximately 75 percent of the program budget. The deficit is made up from the fundraising efforts of the families in the program and local businesses. This year we seem to have been hit with many challenges unforeseen when the budget, player fees, and tournaments were being discussed last fall. Our goal is to keep player fees as low as possible to ensure everyone who wants to play, can play.

On behalf of the Coeur d’Alene American Legion Baseball Program I would like to thank this community for the sponsorship of this program for decades

JOHN WADE

President,

Cd’A American Legion Baseball