PTO Today

My grandson came to me and asked me to support his school (Cheshire Elementary School of Cheshire MA). Of course I was ready and willing with my checkbook open. His school is selling a Cash/Prize Calendar for 10.00 where each day in December a name is pulled and you are awarded the prize or Cash that is listed for that day on the calendar. I read with interest until I got to December 28th. where I saw a $25.00 Gift Certificate to a GUN SHOP!!!!! Am I ever so angry at the person who let this gift certificate go through? As a parent and grandparent I have tried to teach nonviolence to all who walk through my door. To have such a prize on an elementary school fundraiser is totally wrong. I am truly puzzled at an organization that supports the children in the school at making such a poor decision!

Grammy in Pittsfield Massachusetts

I'd disagree. If they are doing a prize a day, they obviously needed many local businesses to support them. Why should a local gun shop be excluded? It's a legal business. No guns would be brought on campus. Any winner could decline a gift they didn't want.

I don't hunt/own a gun myself but was brought up in a family where guns were common. My brother is a champion shooter (targets). It's very a popular hobby - even an Olympic event.

The gun shops around here tend to carry a variety of stock. Certainly guns and ammo, but sometimes hats or clothing or books; other protective items like pepper spray or safety gear. If you win, you don't have to use the certificate. Donate to a group that teaches gun safety. Throw it away. The shop probably sells some gum near the register. Buy $25 worth of gum.

If you stick with the premise that the school should not accept donations from stores that sell guns and accessories, then you also need to exclude Walmart, Sports Authority, Academy and a lot of other places.

This business was a poor choice of sponsor for a school fundraiser.

Massm, I understand your fears and concerns and would probably initially have had them myself. Maybe they'll change the calendar for next year if they believe people were offended. But, for now, it's done so lets think of some positive reasons to support the fundraiser and it's sponsors.

In the last town I lived in, the local shooting range/gun shop also had a massive paint ball field and sold paint ball supplies. This is huge hobby for kids and adults. My son had his 13th birthday party there. One of his friends gave him a gun shop gift certificate for his birthday.

As JHB mentions, hunting and target shooting are favorite hobbies for many people.

Some "gun shops" also sell a variety of fishing and camping gear to round out there "outdoor sports" supplies.

Maybe they sell beef jerky too. Mmmmm

In all seriousness, you have a right to your feelings about this issue and to voice them. I guess it's analogous to a liquor store certificate ~ claiming, "Hey, they sell more than liquor. They sell soda, peanuts, chips, etc" So I can understand that some sponsors are less appropriate for schoo fundraisers than others.

But please remember that this school's parent group is responsible to the entire school and the community that supports them. It could be that they had very innocent reasons for choosing this particular sponsor.

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“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.”

Depending on the area that you live in this certificate would not only be ok it would cause more people to donate in hopes of winning! I live in a small, rural area with MANY hunters and they would love that. I can understand your point but you can't always associate guns with volience.

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"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

The alcohol debate is yet another nightmare. Impossible to define "right and wrong" to everyone's satisfaction, so just pray it doesn't come up. Barring the issue of alcohol on campus - which is never appropriate, what is suitable and what isn't is a no win debate. A gift certificate from the local boutique winery may sound fine. But the local package store, oh no! The local grocery store sells beer and wine, but that's "different". A bar, no. But that the local "wings" place - that's a restaurant. Okay, it does have a very limited menu, is set up as a sports bar, and gets 90% of its revenue from beer. But at least it SOUNDS like a restaurant.

My cousin is a manager in the restaurant industry. Some of the "family" chain restaurants we all beg as sponsors actually stay or go based on their bar sales. The food hopes to break even. Whether the location stays open depends on how much alcohol they serve.

There are some huge grey areas when we starting trying to determine right and wrong when it comes to who is eligible to sponsor a school activity.

Thank you for all of the responses. It is wonderful to see a different perspective on it and that is what is great about this world.

I should state that I would have had the same reaction if they had a gift certificate for beer or alcohol. My feelings are that if the item or items would be banned from the school grounds then any gift certificate buying those items should be also. We live in the North East where violence is not a huge deal.

We got a phone call one day about 6 years ago because one of our other grandsons age 6 brought a plastic disposable knife to school to cut the apple had brought for lunch. He put it in his lunchbox along with his plastic fork for lunch without us knowing and brought it with the intention of just to cut the apple. It was considered contraband and we got a lecture on watching what the children pick up and bring to school along with a lecture on guns and school violence. It was not the same school that is having the raffle.

I emailed the principle of this school and got the fastest response at 6 am that same day. She assured me that she overlooked the item when ok’ing the fundraiser. The PTG was responsible for the prizes buy she told me that it would be taken care of and removed from the raffle.

Thank you everyone for your responses. We believe in the legal right to bear arms as stated in the Constitution but as a family we do not feel the need to do so.

Your grandson is lucky to have such a gracious grandmother who is so interested in his welfare and supporting his school. Thanks for being involved!

the hardest part of gathering donations, is who do you go to and who do you not go to. To raise money, we have to consider all parents and all parent activities. If the names that are being drawn and these are door prizes going to children, I may be alarmed. But from what I understand these are gifts to the parents, grandparents, what have you. We all have personal opinions, in this instance, my opinion is I would rather a parent/child go to a legal gun shop where training and such is offered, then for them to walk into a WalMart, and use a $25.00 gift card to WalMart on a gun or supplies. I also am involved in my daughter's (she is in kindergarten) girl scout troop. One of our biggest sponsor's is the local rod and gun club. Am I going to take my 5 yr. old? NOPE. But knowing we have their support in the community makes me feel better knowing they are trying their best as a business to keep the "sport" safe, our community safe, and our children safe.