Tonawanda baseball goes out and earns it

TONAWANDA - Things mean a little bit more when you go out and earn it yourself.

That’s the mind set the Tonawanda Warriors baseball team will have over the next couple

when they hold their two major fund raisers of the year.

On April 28, the Warriors baseball team will partner with the Warriors track and field program for their fourth annual mattress sale.

Taking place from 10am to 5pm in the Wellness Gym of Tonawanda High School, brand named mattresses such as Restonic will be on display an available for purchase.

Saying that there will be 15 floor models on display, varsity baseball coach John Frank said that all mattresses are brand new, come with full warranty and will sell from between 30-60 percent below normal factory prices.

Phase two of the fund raising effort will take place on Saturday May 5 when the baseball team holds its annual pancake breakfast at Zebb’s at 2875 Niagara Falls Boulevard from 8am to 10 a.m.

“In the beginning of the year our budgets were frozen in November and we really weren’t able to purchase much of anything,” coach Frank said. “We got the necessities. We got bats and balls and that’s it. It doesn’t include any we need to re-equip ourselves for the season.”

While the budgets provide the basics, for a program to continue to succeed and grow as the Warriors have done over the past few seasons it’s key for them to have the fund available so they buy the extras. Like training videos or additional equipment.

“The mattress sale helped off-set the cost of two brand new pitching machines. Two batting cages,” Frank said. “We’ve got a redone basement (in the high school) now where there is three cages for the kids including two machines and an indoor pitching mound. And all that money goes towards stuff like that for the kids which is has been a huge success for us the past three years.”

Players are selling advanced tickets for the breakfast for $6 each.

Passing out mattress sale fliers with their names on it, players have the incentive to spread the word of the sale because they get a commission from sales that came off their word of mouth.

More than anything Coach Frank believes that having his kids take an active part in fund raising not only helps breed togetherness, it teaches them the value of working for what they have. It also shows every player the importance of giving back to the program to help keep it strong.

“Like I said, we have two brand new pitching machines and a refurnished basement with new lighting, new cages, an indoor mound,” he said. “Even the seniors (sometimes) you have a hard time selling the idea of a fund raiser to seniors. They think this is my last year. How’s it gonna help me? Well look how much it’s benefited you the past few years. The least you can do is return the favor to the younger kids in the program. so they understand that as well too.”