Funding A Hall of Fame Trip

This is the second post in a series covering four Suwanee teams: Collins Hill Black, Collins Hill Green, North Gwinnett Black, and North Gwinnett Red. Each article will cover a different aspect of the preparations for a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., culminating with participation in a tournament during the summer of 2011.

A trip to Cooperstown, N.Y., for a week of baseball means increased team expenses, $745 per player and coach to be exact. That's just a piece of the overall expense this year for the four Suwanee-based 12U youth baseball teams making the trip. 

The $745 per player is for the Cooperstown tournament only. It does not include regular budget expenses for local league and tournament play. It also doesn't include the cost of travel for the remaining family members making the trip. 

But that's not a deterrent to parents, coaches, and players who make the trek each year. It just means they'll have to dig a little deeper, do more fund-raising, and maybe make Cooperstown their summer vacation spot. 

To be fair, the coach and player entry fee is a Cooperstown Dreams Park all-inclusive package that covers the entire experience. Room and board and uniforms are the largest expenses along with many other elements to make the week memorable.

The players and coaches stay on-site in a dormitory setting with the other teams from around the country. In addition to the games, the players will have scheduled time for interacting with other teams as well as a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Payments were due for the team in three installments:

• $1,000 at the time of registration
• $2,000 Nov. 1
• The remaining balance was due March 1

For fund-raising, the four Suwanee teams began activities as soon as the teams were formed last fall. There's more time for the teams to complete fundraiser activities during the off-season because once the season starts, weekends are most often filled with games or practices.

 A quick glance at the list of activities shows some traditional and new methods for team fundraising

Red

• Christmas tree pickup and recycling
• Team yard sale
• Community business sponsors

North Gwinnett Black

• Krispy Kreme sales
• Honey Baked Ham sales
• Applebee's pancake breakfast.  On a Saturday morning, Applebee's in Buford opened up the restaurant and only charged their cost.  Team players sold tickets to the event and used the amount over cost as money to their account.

Black

• Holiday wreaths
• City coupon books
• Team garage sale
• Cookie dough and candle sales
• Car wash

Collins Hill Green

• Yard sale
• City coupon books
• Team car wash
• Community business sponsors

There's a double benefit to raising money for the trips. In addition to offsetting the expense of the player entry fee, the boys are gaining valuable experiences in working for something themselves. They will appreciate the trip more knowing they have paid for a piece of it with their time and labor. It's one more thing to add to the Cooperstown memories.