Fundraisers Set for Baseball and Softball

Several fundraisers have been planned for upcoming weeks to help raise money to pay for the return of the baseball and softball teams at Galloway Township Middle School.

A school wristband sale has been scheduled for March 16 at the middle school. Bracelets will be $3 each. The sale is ongoing.

The group of parents instrumental in bringing the programs back will also hold a coin drop at the ShopRite in Galloway on March 18 between 3 and 9 p.m.

Five Guys on the White Horse Pike in Absecon will host a Galloway Township Middle School Softball and Baseball Night on March 22. On that night, 10 percent of purchases will be donated to the organization.

Finally, Fred and Ethel’s Tavern in Smithville will host a Let’s Play Ball Beef N Beverage on April 10, from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20, and prizes will be raffled off.

The group, organized and led by Gail Brown, needs to raise $5,225 by April 30, which is the start of the season. Tryouts are scheduled for the last week of March.

The sports were cut due to budgetary reasons earlier this school year. Soccer and basketball at the middle school were also cut, and there are no sports available for elementary school students.

Cross-country, track and field, field hockey and volleyball remain open to middle school students.

The group is also accepting donations. They can be sent to Galloway Township Public Schools-Extracurricular, c/o Gail Brown, 31 N. Frankfurt Ave., Egg Harbor, NJ 08215.

The Galloway Township Board of Education voted 4-2 in favor of reinstating baseball and softball earlier this calendar year. The school will also receive a boost in state aid for the 2011-12 school year, which means other sports and vital club activities may return to the school district.