Outdoor basketball courts will serve Brewer youth well

A mixture of rain and sweat ran off Glen Holyoke’s face as he ran around the Pendleton Street track in Brewer. It was 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a time most people would not be thinking too clearly, but Holyoke’s mind was clear and his message meaningful.

“You know, maybe this will open up a lot of purses and pocketbooks for the Brewer courts’ people. They’re a real dedicated bunch,” said Holyoke, a member of the Sub 5 track club which coordinated the 24-hour Summer Social Relay over the weekend.

Holyoke was referring to the efforts of 29 runners, walkers and joggers who pooled their efforts to raise funds for four outdoor basketball courts. They took turns running around the track for 24 hours – including a difficult stretch from 9 p.m. Saturday until 4 a.m. Sunday during a rainstorm – and covered 187 miles.

The fund-raising effort for the courts began approximately a year ago. The weekend activity added about $600 to the effort, which is slowly approaching the $10,000 mark, but still well short of the $30,000 needed.

With the state’s struggling economy, raising funds for something like basketball courts has been difficult. Mark Savage, the fund-raising coordinator and Brewer High School boys basketball coach, understands this painful point.

“Like everything else, there’s just not that much extra money around – from companies or from individuals,” Savage said. “Not many people have been jumping on the bandwagon, but every little bit helps.”

The economy has been a strain on many Brewer families, but it seems as though more funds from more people could be given to meet the $30,000 goal. When put in perspective with other fund drives like the Jimmy Fund or March of Dimes, raising money for outdoor basketball courts ranks low – and deservedly so.

Four new outdoor basketball courts, however, certainly should rank much higher than activities such as playing video games, watching movies and strolling around the mall.

Over the past several years, countless reports have documented how our youth is becoming less physically fit. Brewer parents should take note of this and then look around their city and see the sad state of sub-par outdoor basketball courts.

Good outdoor basketball courts in other towns are used constantly in the fall, spring, and summer seasons. After all, this is Maine, where high school basketball is still very popular despite the proliferation of professional sports on TV and the success of the University of Maine’s Division I sports teams.

Setting aside a few extra dollars for the courts is a good investment in Brewer’s youth. One hopes that the determined efforts of the fund-raisers during the 24-hour relay will serve notice to the citizens of Brewer that much hard, dedicated work is being done to ensure the courts’ eventual construction. The support of more members of the community would enable this noteworthy goal to become a reality, instead of a slow, ongoing project.