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Post by oktrae on Jun 30, 2014 0:02:11 GMT
I saw something I've never seen before today. We went out of our suburb to the 'big town' to go to the movies. We're finally getting around to seeing Maleficient in 3d and it is no longer showing in our town.
Anyway, as we left the movies I noticed that 3-4 boys about age 12 wearing baseball uniforms were walking up and down the median at a very very busy intersection with a sign asking people to help send them to a tourney in St Louis. It didn't sit well with me for a couple of reasons. First, this is a dangerous intersection, people take the turn lane quickly and two lanes squash into one immediately and not always is that negotiated well. Homeless people have been injured panhandling there. The median is only about 3 feet wide and 6 inches high. Not huge or much space to avoid cars. Second, surely there is something they could DO to raise funds. In our suburb they usually have car washes at local businesses and this summer I've seen postings of kids teams of teen aged kids volunteering to do yard work etc for donations. I'm just much more on board with that.
So am I totally a pearl clutcher on this? What do you think about the situation? Has anyone else seen this where they live?
Oh and if I tried to use spell check again, it will just clear my entire post again. I'll try again to figure it out, just not on this post.
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Post by cannes on Jun 30, 2014 0:04:34 GMT
I'm right there with you on this. I haven't seen it personally, but having kids panhandling in the median wouldn't sit well with me. I get that they are raising money for a tournament, but they'd be better off asking for donations in front of a grocery store or something.
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Post by kimnyy on Jun 30, 2014 0:14:16 GMT
That's crazy!!! Both of My boys play baseball and my daughter cheers, they do numerous fundraiser throughout the season, but that is one that has never been brought up. Thank god, no way I would let me kids to that!
What happened to the good old car wash? My gosh....
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Post by ctpea on Jun 30, 2014 0:14:30 GMT
My kids take part in these types of fundraisers but I can tell you they would not be in the intersection. They just did one yesterday to also raise money to enter a tournament but they stood in front of the business to raise money - we call it shake the can. The entire team goes and are there with the coaches (supervising) and with the parents. There are lots of logistics to figure out and participation required for doing a car wash - some places even though they are local are not cooperative and it leaves the unpaid coaches very few choices.
As we stopped to get take out there was a girl with a beach pail in the middle of the road collecting $$ for relay for life. Not sure where people think its ok to have their children in the middle of the road.
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Post by smokeynspike on Jun 30, 2014 0:14:54 GMT
I would have called the police if I saw that and had them deal with it. Someone I used to know panhandled with her kids in Vegas and the police were all over her for child endangerment. I don't like adults panhandling, so to see kids doing it unsafely would definitely rub me the wrong way.
Melissa
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Post by oktrae on Jun 30, 2014 0:15:29 GMT
I'm right there with you on this. I haven't seen it personally, but having kids panhandling in the median wouldn't sit well with me. I get that they are raising money for a tournament, but they'd be better off asking for donations in front of a grocery store or something. In front of a store just doesn't trigger the same reaction in me at all. Though I still prefer they do something. The HS band doing a once in a lifetime trip to the rose bowl was one thing, but just a random tourney for a travel team that probably hits one of these nearly every weekend just doesn't seem the same.
Of course I'm the mom who refuses to participate in fundraisers at DD's dance studio. I'm more than willing to pay the recital and costume fee straight out and have budgeted to do so. I don't care if others need some help raising the fees but just don't make me.
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Post by junebugz on Jun 30, 2014 0:20:10 GMT
Ok, that would not fly with me. Much safer to do ask for money in front of businesses. Although it is a little annoying to go to the store every weekend and have different groups there asking for money. I understand the need though and give when I can ( otherwise known as when I actually have cash on me)
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Post by cannes on Jun 30, 2014 0:22:57 GMT
I agree that I prefer they do something, too. But if they are going to panhandle, the very least they can do is to do it safely and out of the street.
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quiltz
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,709
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Jun 29, 2014 16:13:28 GMT
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Post by quiltz on Jun 30, 2014 0:23:01 GMT
Walking up and down the median? NO, in front of a store/business with the permission of business, okay
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Post by Miss Ang on Jun 30, 2014 0:32:01 GMT
My son used to participate in a group activity that collected money at the square (small town, not tons of traffic). However, I never did have him go up there and do it. The person in charge was always quick to let me know that the money collected from that "fundraiser" would only be divided equally among the children that participated. I was perfectly okie dokie with that! I don't want my children standing on a street corner begging for money. In our community the Lions Club and American Legion (I'm sure there are more) do this as well and I just don't like it. It freaks me out to have people walking up to my car window asking for money. I guess they do raise a significant amount of money though, because it's been done for YEARS. I just don't care for it.
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scrappinmama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,884
Jun 26, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
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Post by scrappinmama on Jun 30, 2014 0:32:26 GMT
I would not like it. I prefer that they do something, rather than just stand around.
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Post by withapea on Jun 30, 2014 0:35:32 GMT
Admittedly I'm adverse to all sorts of fundraising methods but this one is really, really bad. No way would I be okay with it.
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Post by oktrae on Jun 30, 2014 0:39:05 GMT
I've considered it some more and the only time I can think of when I was on board was when I was a single college girl and we'd go driving around on purpose during memorial day weekend to see the firefighter's collecting funds for the MDA. We made sure we had small bills and lots of change handy that weekend.
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eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
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Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
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Post by eastcoastpea on Jun 30, 2014 1:13:08 GMT
I don't like it. It's much too easy for someone to get hit by a car.
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Post by mom2jnk on Jun 30, 2014 2:40:04 GMT
No, no and no.
As a parent, I fully expect to pay for my child's participation in optional activities like club sports. We make choices about the activities that our children can do based upon what our family can afford. There are also many, many ways for pre-teen or teenage children to *earn* the money to participate in their chosen activity. I am not a fan of teaching kids to ask for money to be handed to them.
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Post by doesitmatter on Jun 30, 2014 2:45:45 GMT
I saw this once with cheerleaders standing outside of a bank asking for donations to get them to a national tournament. Not the way to do it imho. If the families and teams need extra money then Provide a service or sell something to fund raise etc, don't just stand in front of the bank and ask for a handout.
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Mary Kay Lady
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 27, 2014 4:11:36 GMT
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Post by Mary Kay Lady on Jun 30, 2014 2:48:46 GMT
I live in Fort Worth and there's a city ordinance against panhandling. It still happens, but the ordinance was put in place to keep people safe.
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cycworker
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 26, 2014 0:42:38 GMT
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Post by cycworker on Jun 30, 2014 2:52:54 GMT
No, no and no. As a parent, I fully expect to pay for my child's participation in optional activities like club sports. We make choices about the activities that our children can do based upon what our family can afford. There are also many, many ways for pre-teen or teenage children to *earn* the money to participate in their chosen activity. I am not a fan of teaching kids to ask for money to be handed to them. I definitely don't like the panhandling. I have to say I disagree with you on the idea that kids should only play if their parents can afford it. I don't have a problem with teams fundraising. Just today a girls' lacrosse team, age 10/11 or so was selling pizza to raise money for Provincials, to offset the travel costs. I think that is a good thing. I'm not in favour of saying what amounts to 'low income kids can't play,' and that's the consequence of parents telling their kids no if they don't have it in their budget. We also have a great program here called Jumpstart, through Canadian Tire (a national store... not sure what it would equate to in the US... help, Canadians?) that assists these families. But you can only access it for one sport. So count me in as one who will happily either buy the slice of pizza/hot dog/drink or give a donation. In fact, I even gave one of the moms my cell # to text me so she can come get my bottles for the bottle drive they're doing.
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Post by sbartist on Jun 30, 2014 2:53:04 GMT
See it here all.the.time. In fact, the kids have nets (similar to a bug catching net, but with larger holes), that they hold and use to get moola (preferably bills, because coins would just fall through). And they always seem to be at the front entrance to Walmart schlepping something.
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Post by betsy on Jun 30, 2014 2:55:12 GMT
I've seen the firefighter do "Fill a Boot" weekends, but that's well publicized, adults,and police are stationed there to help with traffic.
Kids? Alone on the median with their hands out? Seems like I'd call the cops.
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tiffanytwisted
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Jun 26, 2014 15:57:39 GMT
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Post by tiffanytwisted on Jun 30, 2014 3:02:17 GMT
I HATE that my son's baseball team (freshman, JV & Varsity) is let loose on the town one Saturday to knock on people's doors trying to sell them those stupid discount cards. Hate it, hate it, hate it.
There's no way I'd let him hang out on a highway.
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Post by holly on Jun 30, 2014 3:03:27 GMT
I agree, I don't like seeing that. I've only seen it once with a club football team. They were standing in the media of a busy road with their helmets out. I'd much rather see them doing a service or selling something than just standing with their hand out.
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Post by Basket1lady on Jun 30, 2014 4:14:54 GMT
My son's HS football team does as TiffanyTwisted mentioned. They call it a blitz here and the entire team goes out and tries to sell discount cards to businesses and home. I hate it with a fiery passion. I always buy DS out (I'm of the opinion that I chose for my child to play a sport and I'll pay for him to play.) But there are so many kids on the team whose parents can't afford it ( or just would never pay). So to be a team player, I have DS join in on the blitz, but he never does the asking. He just says that he already sold all of his cards.
I've offered to organize a car wash, a bake sale, design a tee shirt, organize a summer football camp for the younger kids ... I get shot down every time. They cite lack of participation from the entire team, too many rules, too much insurance... You name it. I've given up and I just buy the %$#@ discount cards. And I'm an involved mom--I was the JV team mom last year.
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Rainbow
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Jun 26, 2014 5:57:41 GMT
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Post by Rainbow on Jun 30, 2014 12:31:07 GMT
It's too dangerous to have kids out in the street like that. I would refuse and suggest something else or my child would not participate.
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Post by moveablefeast on Jun 30, 2014 12:57:14 GMT
I'm a softie and will give to any of my friends' kids' fundraisers. And we always throw some change in the boot, and we are usually pretty ready to give a couple bucks to any neighborhood kid who asks. We don't have a ton to give so we don't write big checks, but we are happy to throw in a little.
But I don't usually give to random kids out having a fundraiser on the sidewalk. If I have some connection to you at all, I'll get out my wallet, no problem. But if I've driven from two towns away and you're on the sidewalk asking for cash for your neighborhood little league team, I will usually say "Not today, but wish you all the best!"
that said... I was in school choirs from sixth grade through college, and we fundraised because we couldn't raise enough through the school budget and parent contributions to do everything we wanted to do. Fundraising also built community among the kids and gave the town (one high school) a sense of buying into the mission of the school. So I think there are benefits to participating in fundraisers, I just don't expect that people with no connection to the group will have big open wallets.
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Post by 1lear on Jun 30, 2014 13:04:54 GMT
I can't Imagine this happening. Who thought this was a good, safe idea and why did parents go along with it? I can understand standing outside of a store and asking for money (but I don't like it). But in a median-no way!
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Post by Kelpea on Jun 30, 2014 13:09:11 GMT
Medians, NO. Panhandling, yes. I have no problem with that. Heck, our local school's band members came around soliciting our neighborhood. In full dress. In August. They got a check from me lickety split.
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Post by epeanymous on Jun 30, 2014 13:45:37 GMT
I'd prefer not to have kids on the median, but, frankly, pretty much all of the fundraising activities that I have seen are more or less panhandling, just not out on a highway median. I don't really need overpriced rolls of gift wrap or double-priced candy bars. My debate team in high school had a "volleyball marathon" every year that you needed to get sponsors for, and, come on, people are not really paying you under those circumstances because they desperately want you to play volleyball.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jun 30, 2014 14:01:22 GMT
I don't think it's appropriate or a safe thing, either. So I'm right there with ya on that one. I wouldn't have let my kids do it. They should earn the money, not beg for it.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jun 30, 2014 14:02:10 GMT
And.... What the hell kind of life lesson does that give them?
If you need money, no need to work for it, just beg enough people until you get what you want?!
Crazy!
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