Like many urban districts, the San Francisco Unified School District is facing a major slump in funds for such extracurricular activities as yearbook, band, debate, and drama, and may have to eliminate those programs in the fall. Enter Mayor Agnos, who has decided to field a softball team to raise funds for the schools.
By challenging local civic groups at a minimum wager of $1,000 a game, “Art’s All-Stars,” a ragtag rookie team of government employees, hope to garner up to $25,000 for the schools this summer.
Mr. Agnos, who tried out for the Boston Red Sox in 1956, will play first base for his dream team.
Should the All-Stars lose, a group called “Friends of Art Agnos” will contribute to the fund-raiser.
The All-Stars’ first exhibition game is against the San Francisco Examiner, which raised the stakes to $1,500. Other contenders include Pacific Gas and Electric and local television and radio news organizations.
Although the school system’s finances are separate from those of the city, Mayor Agnos says he believes in the “obligation to do our part to save these programs that round out a student’s experience.”
