Funding Goal Reached To Restore Freshman Sports

It appears that freshman athletes in four sports that saw their programs dropped five weeks ago will be on the field playing once again come September.

Friends of Belmont Athletics, the parents-led group that seemingly banded overnight to restore eight freshman sports programs cut after the defeat of a Proposition 2 1/2 override last month, informed Belmont's Athletic Director Jim Davis Friday, July 23, they had raised $17,435 in their effort to restore High School freshman sports - football, field hockey and boys and girls soccer - and the cross country program at the Chenery Middle School.

In a message on the organization's Google Group website, FBS's leadership team, Ellen Sullivan, Leigh McLaughlin Lynch and John Stadler, will present the check to Davis Tuesday morning.

The money raised by FBS in addition to $10,000 the Belmont School Committee promised to the group as "seed" money totals the $27,435 target Davis told the group it needed to raise by Aug. 1 to restore a freshman season for the four effected sports.

The group also noted that it will continue its fundraising to bring back four freshman sports and the Chenery intramural program in the winter and spring athletic seasons. 

"We very much hope that contributions will continue and that the funding requirements for those seasons can be met as soon as possible so Jim Davis has as much lead time as possible to make arrangements with coaches and establish 
schedules with the other Middlesex League schools," noted the leadership group.