June 23, 2012: Alex Gets a CCBL T-Shirt and Wears It Proudly

For our family, and for so many families funds are limited.  I portioned out our money so that we would have $3 to donate for each upcoming game.  I know that it is less than the suggested donation, but June we had overspent, such that we could only afford $3 a game and then maybe some concessions.  This meant that we had to save in order to get Alex a Cape League t-shirt, which I might add: He is proudly wearing it now as we are listening to the Boston Red Sox on 96.3.  That is to get this one we had to break open the piggy bank.

Alex is a really good looking kid.  He is very social and very popular among folks in our town.  In that way, he makes for an excellent advertisement.  If people in the town of Sandwich see Alex wearing CCBL apparel or Bourne Braves apparel, then it is highly likely that they also might go to a game, even if it may not be the Bourne Braves themselves who gain more attendance.  For example, we know people that might attend a Falmouth or a Cotuit game as a result of this promotion.

Think of it this way, everything that you buy generally carries with it a label.  As someone using a product that has that label, you are representing that business, and hopefully trying to increase the amount of business or donations that business gets.

I, myself, have a CCBL t-shirt, and I often wear it specifically so that I might strike up a conversation that might make someone want to go to game.  In fact, that is exactly what happened the other day when I met someone in Buzzards Bay that when I said I was going to a Bourne Braves game.  The person I met mentioned that he might go see the Wareham Gatemen.  Often times most people that go to games donate $5 or more.  Just think, through representing the CCBL by wearing a t-shirt I helped proliferate the league.  Yes, possibly only $5 was made in this instance, but it is also possible that he went with a friend or friends that made donations and bought products, and may continue to do so in the future.  That is how the word is spread.  Before you know it $100 is made to support athletics.

Alex also has a Bourne Braves hat and it looks really good.  Whoever designed the hats for the Bourne Braves really deserves a compliment!  Alex was given his Bourne Braves hat when he was 3, as a gift.  He didn’t buy it himself.  However, this year, now that he is 4, I am trying to teach Alex the value of a dollar.  Meghan said that our friends the Broder’s where recently able to buy a shirt at a Braves game that was on clearance.  I was hoping for the same, seeing as how our funds were so limited.  However, breaking open the piggy bank, we have found we could give Alex enough to get a t-shirt 6/23/2012.

Unfortunately, the game was called when we were in the lead, and we hopefully we will win the makeup game scheduled for Monday at 6:00.

I have said it many times, and I’ll say it again.  In the Psalms, King David deplores those that accept free gifts, and while the CCBL is by donation only, to me what that really means is that we are on the honors system.  It is up to us to see that the CCBL can happen, such that I am grateful to all contributors, primarily because it is a great cause.  As I said, anytime one attends something such as a game, there should be some exchange of money, even if the game does not have vendors and there is no charge for attending.  Good people appreciate the honors system, but those that take advantage to free gifts usually end up finding out that they are not really in fact free, such that commerce is beneficial.

I was surprised that when we saw American Legion Post 188 at Doran Park there was no way to make a donation.  We had set aside $3, which isn’t much, but it is better than nothing.  The closest thing we made to a donation, where the drinks we brought with us, that I had purchased earlier on Friday 6/22/2012 for $0.20 a piece.  However, the drinks were bought specifically for the purpose of the game, and if you believe that one blessing begets another until it comes back to you, then by buying drinks for the game, we did something good!

Sometimes we have gone to games at the Henry T. Wing School, which has a concession stand.  For a few bucks you can buy a soda, some food, and help fund sports at grade school.  I am not sure if this is available at the high school.  As far as I remember, it wasn’t.  However, there is a new sports complex in the works, and hopefully buying concessions will be one way we can support athletics, whether it is at the grade school level on up through collegiate, and even the AAA level.