Commissioners want stop to fundraising in intersections
- 6/22/12
- Categorized in: DeKalb News
On any given Saturday while school and local sports leagues are active, young people can be found at major DeKalb intersections soliciting donations for their extra-curricular activities.
DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson said this practice is unsafe and needs to be stopped.
“That’s a dangerous situation,” Watson said. “It creates an unsafe environment when you’re darting in and out of cars. Somebody’s going to get hurt.”
Watson wrote a resolution, which was passed June 12 by the Board of Commissioners, encouraging all schools and recreation leagues to cease holding fundraising activities at traffic intersections.
Watson, who wrote the resolution after being approached by several constituents, said these organizations need to “get our kids off the street corners begging for money.”
These solicitations are not the best way to raise funds for the various charities or athletic organizations,” Watson said.
“The money they collect on a good Saturday is maybe $250,” he said.
Watson said he is not out to limit the fundraising efforts of organizations in the county. Instead, he wants to ensure that they “do not impede traffic.”
A better idea than intersection fundraising is to visit businesses in their neighborhoods such as dry cleaners, drug stores and pizza restaurants, Watson said.
“The companies should make it a practice to reinvest in the community,” Watson said.
The resolution recommends that a weekly $25 fee be levied against adults, non-profit organizations and commercial vendors that choose to solicit funds at intersections in DeKalb County.
Government agencies would be exempt from the permit fee and the funds collected from this fee will be donated to DeKalb County Parks and Recreation.
The resolution also recommends that safety jackets be worn while soliciting.
begging for money to have the opportunity to play organized sports but the street corner is not the place or a good example to set for children to solicit funds. Dekalb county has put allot of money into recreation centers,fundraising events can be held at these centers advertised and moneys allocated to children.The commissioners who approve these new
businesses should stipulate to them that we the citizens of dekalb county will patronize you if you sponsor our youth. There are solutions that are less degrading to our children lets come up with more solutions than begging.
Watson and the rest all need to go !
Getting rid of Barnes-Sutton and Gannon this election cycle would be a nice start ! and lit'l burrell also
Or maybe the Commissioners need to go to each Gas Station they approved and
get some donations. There are plenty on the southside.
A soccer Mom