The Front Row

If it's not of interest, please skim by, as this is more of a community story.
It's vintage Tress for those who are interested in his goings-on.
Here he's at a fundraiser where the end-effort is to make all of this districts' school sports activities free to the kids.
GoBucks.
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Jim Tressel among notables helping athletic fundraising committee in fourth year
6:43 AM, Feb. 18, 2012
by Seth Roy, Advocate Reporter

Jim Tressel's visit to the Newark High School boys basketball game Friday night capped the fourth season of the Million Dollar Dream Committee's foul shot fundraiser.

The group, which formed in 2008 with the goal of eliminating the district's new pay-to-participate fees, has donated $120,000 during the past three years. It was started by Sandy Mercer and 11 other district mothers after Mercer's mom had a dream of the community raising $1 million to make activities free for Newark students.

Its prime fundraiser is getting local celebrities -- including Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland, Newark City Schools Superintendent Doug Ute and Athletic Director Jeff Quackenbush -- to shoot free throws during half-time of home boys and girls basketball games.

The pay-to-participate fees have been suspended by the district for the next two years. Million Dollar Dream plans to continue helping with the cost for athletics, member Maryann Landerman said.

"Our dream, so to speak, has always been to help all of the students do the athletics," she said. "The money is still going to be going toward individuals doing athletics."

This year, each free throw brought in $41 for the group from money pledged by various community residents and businesses. Including Tressel's attempts, free throw participants made 232 out of 300 attempts and raised $11,513.20, which included additional matches.
An additional $990 was earned through Tressel's post-game autographs.

That's not counting extra donations or money generated from Holland signing 11 dozen baseballs for $10 each after his game.

"He sent us actual official baseballs from his Texas team," Landerman said.

Tressel also stayed after Friday's game to sign programs and cat paw magnets for $10 each. In addition to the $41 pledged for each free throw, the owners of the Zanesville and Chillicothe Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants pledged $25 per make.

The restaurants' marketing director, Amy Walters, is Newark junior varsity coach Vince Walters' wife, and helped set up Tressel's visit.

The Million Dollar Dream Committee hopes Tressel will be another shot in the arm for fundraising. The group is excited to see how its fundraising can help moving forward, Kim Lust said.

"I think we've had tremendous success. This whole thing has really been a grassroots effort," she said. "We're still going to continue to be involved in the district."

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20120218/NEWS01/202180301/Jim-Tressel-among-notables-helping-Million-Dollar-Dream