WISE OWL

By GENE SULLIVAN |
News-Press Sports Editor

 

 

Help! Help! Help!

Lieut. Ted O’Sullivan of the Fort Leaven-
worth reception center was in St. Joseph the
other night. Here’s the story he told us: The

\ permanent personnel of the center numbers
500 officers and enlisted men. Thousands of selectees pass through
the center each week. Most of them’remain there for varying periods
of time. All of them want to have recreational outlets right on the
post. Yet there are no provisions made for the purchase of athletic
equipment, sag ee az

 

 

 

 

“Please, please, please,” Lieutenant O’Sullivan said, “see
if. you can’t get. some athletic gear around St. Joseph. We
are badly in need of it. We can use anything for any sport.
It doesn’t have to be new and shiny. All we ask is that it
have a few rounds left in it. It doesn’t even have to be sea-
sonal. We're just as glad to get footballs and basketballs
right now as we are to be given softball and baseball equip-
ment. But we need the equipment and we need it now.

“The men who find time on their hands at the center are men
who are getting their first touch of army life. Many of them are
away from home for the first time and you know what that means.
They need something to take their minds off themselves, and sports
ts the ideal medium. Lacking funds to buy equipment, we have to
depend upon the good people in the vicinity of the center.”

Fans Can Help NOW .

That’s the picture, folks. Let’s do something about it. We're
villing to do our part. How about you? Look in the dark corners
cf those closets of yours. Get up into that attic and out in that
woodshed. If you find anything that isn’t being used around your
diggings and.could be used by some soldier we'll see that it gets to him.

Find what you have tucked away and then do one of two
things. Either call the sports desk at The News-Press, giving
your name and address, the type of article that you have and
when it can be picked up, or bring it down to the sports desk.
If you bring it down, put your name and address on the
article because we want ali who participate in this drive to
get credit for his or her part. Here are some of the specific
articles Lieutenant O’Sullivan mentioned:

Softballs Baseballs Footballs Basketball
Softball bats Baseball bats Softball gloves Baseball gloves
Ping-pong tables Ping-pong bats Ping-pong balls Pool tables
Checker games Dominoes Decks of cards Horseshoes
Tennis rackets Tennis balls Boxing gloves Volleyballs

a Cash Will Help

There you have it. You individual fans take a look around. And
it would not be a bad idea for the athletic goods dealers of St. Joseph
to look over their stocks. They may have an item or two that is
gathering more dust than it’s worth. They’re not barred. And the
‘erganized sports groups in St. Joseph could come through too. How
about those school property rooms? Is there something in there that
isn’t essential? Dig it out and bring it down. 3

 

And we don’t want to leave out the fans in the trade
territory. If you have some pieces of equipment that you
want to give, mail them to the sports desk at The News-Press.
You'll get credit for them right along with the fans in St.
Joseph.

Now about the matter of cash. If money is turned over to Lieu-
tenant O’Sullivan he has the authority to buy equipment. However,
he suggested that this plan be worked out. The money should be
sent to the sports desk at The News-Press and in turn be converted
into orders on St. Joseph sporting goods stores so that the money will
remain in this community.

So there you are, folks. We’re ready to pick up the stuff
and see te it that it gets into the hands of our soldiers at
Fort Leavenworth. What do you have to offer?

 

 

BZterse ~
7