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Last updated on Monday, December 31, 2012
(BLOOMFIELD) - The proposed Bloomfield football program doesn’t have approval from the school board yet, but fundraising efforts are continuing to pick up steam with a goal to raise at least half of the money needed to field a team during the first year.
Nick Schneider, of the Greene County Daily World reports, proponents of starting a school-sponsored football program, beginning with junior varsity play in the fall of 2013, have incorporated into a not-for-profit organization - Bloomfield Football Booster Club, Inc. Frank Starr, the Bloomfield Junior-Senior High School Naval Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps co-commander, serves as the president of the booster club.
The group has a major fundraising event slated for Monday, Jan. 7 at the Indiana Army National Guard Armory in Linton to coincide with the BCS National Championship Football game pitting Notre Dame and Alabama playing for the college football crown.
The event, sponsored by the Bloomfield Booster Club, Indiana National Guard, Happy Matt's BBQ and Haywood's Printing & Stained Glass, kicks-off at 7:30 p.m. with an indoor field goal kicking contest and other pre-game events.
The game, starting at about 8:30 p.m., will be shown on two 60-inch televisions from American Rental in Linton. Cost is $15 in advance and $20 at the door. The cost includes a barbecue meal prepared by Happy Matt's BBQ that will feature a pulled pork sandwich, cheese potatoes, beans, a dessert and drink. Various concessions will be offered throughout the evening.
This will be a family-friendly event open to all ages. No alcohol will be allowed, Starr stressed. The event will feature a variety of raffles and 50/50 drawings. Among the prizes that have been donated for the raffle is an I-Pad 2 as well as a large number of coupons from local businesses.
Starr says those attending the champion game party are encouraged to wear their favorite jersey -- which could be the two teams pitted for the national champion as well as other favorite college or high school teams.
Starr added another similar event is being planned for the Super Bowl.
The booster club has organized what is being called the 2013 "Kickoff Club", which is initial sponsors who are willing the cash donations prior to July 1.
A Bloomfield school team playing a varsity schedule would not take the field until the fall of 2016 under the proposal, which by Indiana High School Athletic Association guidelines has to include three years of junior varsity play.
Until a revenue stream is created, the community (football league) would continue to fund half of the annual operating costs while the school would fund the remaining half," Starr told the school board at a recent meeting.
Starr says The board is not likely to act on the request to establish a school football team until either the February or March meetings.
He did say that enthusiasm and support for the program is building among the Bloomfield community and some school administrators.
Starr, a retired U.S. Navy First Lieutenant, who co-directs the school's award-winning NJROTC program, said initially, 9th through 12th graders would play a JV schedule for the first three years. During the same period, 7th and 8th graders would engage in a junior high school schedule.
All games, until a home field could be constructed, would be played on the road or by using rented facilities at area schools, including Linton-Stockton, North Daviess and Eastern Greene, according to Starr.
Starr added the Booster Club also has a fundraising event set at Casey's Country Store on State Road 54 West in Linton Jan. 5. Members and players will be pumping gas that day from 8 a.m. with a percentage going to the Booster Club's fund.
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