Help Cubs Insider Provide Athletic Uniforms to an Underfunded High School

I’m a Hoosier, born and raised. I know that not all of you can relate to that — heck, some of you may even feel a bit of disdain for me as a result — but I think anyone visiting this site knows the value of sports. High school sports were a huge part of my life growing up, which is why a story I read recently struck a chord.

Arlington High School on the east side of Indianapolis is not in a great spot. Only 3 years ago, the school was struggling so badly that the state had to turn its operations over to a private entity. They have since begun the process of transitioning back to Indianapolis Public Schools, but the athletic department has fallen victim to to budget constraints.

Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star writes that the football team doesn’t have enough home jerseys to fully supply its 3-1 squad. The Indiana Pacers have stepped up and offered to purchase uniforms for the boys basketball team and IPS has allocated funds to buy football helmets and volleyball uniforms. If only there was a multi-billion-dollar monster of a team in town that could provide some help as well.

The goal is that the athletic program can begin to generate some income over time, but they’re basically starting from scratch at this point. I know it’s not much, but I was hoping to give to this cause and I would like your help to do so. For the next week, I am going to donate all the profits from the Cubs Insider shop to the Arlington HS athletic department.

It would be nice to cut a check for more than $2.50, so maybe think about picking up a t-shirt or a hat. Maybe think about picking up several.

And if you don’t want any Cubs Insider gear — though I’m not sure who wouldn’t want at least one of the incredible items in our shop — or just want to give more than what a portion of the sales amounts to, I have set up a GoFundMe campaign. The goal is $1,000 and I’d love to hit that somehow.

Finally, if you’d prefer to donate directly, you can either call Danny Wilson, Arlington’s Athletic Director, at (317) 226-2345 or e-mail wilsondj@myips.org.