Some concerned as New Richmond junior cheer, football fundraiser includes weapons
NEW RICHMOND, Ohio (WKRC) - A fundraiser for the Junior Lions football and cheer teams in Clermont County is raising some concern because two of the prizes are firearms.
Sari Brittain says this is the first year her 4-year-old is old enough to be part of the local cheerleading team. She was shocked when she was handed a letter titled: NRJLF Cheer Gun Raffle Fundraiser.
“If my daughter wants the pom-poms, then she has to learn maturity and taking raffles and talking to people with me at her side, but I’m not going to do let her do that with a gun, or any weapon, of that matter,” Brittain said.
Brittain says she was allowed to opt-out of selling tickets for the rifle and is choosing to sell tickets for a gift basket instead. The New Richmond military wife and mother of three feels like including deadly weapons in a fundraiser is an unnecessary risk.
“We live in a world where you don’t know if Bob down the street is OK with guns. So why would I take my 4-year-old daughter down the street to meet Bob who's not OK with it? And now he knows my face and my daughter's face,” she said.
The games are played on the high school football field and the students go to New Richmond, but the school district tells Local12 they are not affiliated with the raffle in any way. The raffle is being run by an outside group called New Richmond Junior Lions, Incorporated.
The fundraiser includes tickets for an AM15 optic ready M4 for the cheer team. The football team has tickets for a Glock 9mm. The club president, Robert Wooten, said the media attention has resulted in an increase in sales.
“Each parent was asked to sell 10 tickets per family or per child. Since this has hit the press, the demand for it has increased substantially," said Wooten.
Wooten says he's a father of five and understands the concern. That's why he gave the option to sell tickets for a gift basket instead. He says while the fundraiser will continue this year, he and board members will re-evaluate it for next season.
This is the fourth year for the fundraiser and the president says he's only had two parents file a complaint so far.
