Crew Booster Says Chick-fil-A Promo Misunderstood
Linda Herzog says the rowing team doesn't have a stance on same-sex marriage, and wasn't expecting such questions during a recent fundraiser.
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It's a chicken-and-egg-on-face question.
Which came first: the Chick-fil-A cow, or the moral outrage associated with the fast food franchise's stance on same-sex marriage?
Until she was asked to answer for it at last Tuesday's National Night Out community-building event, Collingswood Crew booster Linda Herzog didn't even believe it would be an issue.
"It didn’t even cross my mind until we started hearing the feedback when we were there," Herzog said. "I never put it together, honestly, in my head."
Herzog said she knew about the flap surrounding Chick-fil-A but didn't think that the appearance of the company's mascot at the event would be construed as an endorsement of a political stance by the team—even in gay-friendly Collingswood.
"I think all the families who have kids on the team and who have lived in town for a while are very aware of the stance Chick-fil-A has and what our town is all about," she said.
"But I think they are also very aware that we support our kids, we are here for our community, and part of that is supporting our small and mighty team."
In fact, Herzog said, Collingswood crew had run the same prize-wheel coupon promotion at May Fair without incident.
"We raised a nice little bit of money for it, and we were just looking to replicate again this time," she said.
"In the meantime, a political issue has come up which we think has nothing to do with our mission, which is to get people aware of the crew team."
Chick-fil-A was brought into the event, Herzog said, because one of the crew parents works for the company. She also said that parent has been addressing complaints about the Chick-fil-A's position on same-sex marriage since the issue was broached.
"I know they had a couple people make some comments to them, and they said basically they’re not here for a political agenda; they’re here to raise money for the club," Herzog said.
Crew is a very expensive sport, Herzog says. Boats run in the neighborhood of $25,000 and up, and in the 11-year history of the club "a lot of that equipment we got when we first started was used" and donated.
"We have fees to maintain a spot at the boat house, to pay a coach, and we work very hard to keep our dues as low as possible to make the club accessible to everybody and make up for it through fundraising efforts," she said.
With 20 kids, on average, participating in the club, dues last year were still $800 apiece, she said, which remains among the lowest in the region, as compared with those paid by rowers on the Moorestown and Haddonfield squads.
That's why, Herzog said, the club has tried a number and variety of fundraisers in the past.
"We’ve had jewelry sales, coin toss, hoagie sales; we’re having a beef and beer October 19, the first time we’ve had one of those in eight or nine years.
"We want to do things that are a greater presence among the community," Herzog said.
Kevin
8:44 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
When will this non-issue die? It's a fundraiser with a local franchise that seemingly has a presence at every local event and fundraiser. Now we are going to take Dan Cathy's comments out on the local franchise owners of Chick-Fil-A?
Dan Johnson
10:22 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
Over the last several years , Chick has spent millions supporting 7 anti-gay groups that promote prejudice and legal discrimination in all areas, not just marriage equality as is so frequently reported. The complaint is not just Cathy's opinion on marriage equality, but rather his funding of legal discrimination here and around the world.
We know for a fact, prejudice and discrimination result in needless suffering and death. The funds Chick spends promoting prejudice and discrimination cause real harm to real people.
Lisa
9:28 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Why not support our very deserving kids and teams in a way that doesn't alienate members of our community? Perhaps a prize wheel featuring local businesses...a free or buy-one-get-one slice of pizza, cupcake, popcorn bag, chocolate covered pretzel, water ice. The possibilities are endless.
Sean Andrew
12:56 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Did the local business community offer to get involved? If they did, did we screen them for their religious, political, and personal views first? Silly...
Cara Boiler
10:19 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
We participated in the fundraiser for the crew team. Not because we support Chick-fil-A's stance, but because we support the Collingswood crew team. To be honest I don't know where my coupons are and don't plan on using them, because the fundraiser wasn't about what I could get out of it, but what it can do for the team. For some people the Chick-FIl-A stance is a recent touchy subject and there are others who aren't yet aware of the sensitivity of the issue. I don't fault the crew team for their choice of a fundraiser because the subject is a relatively new social issue and they could have been planning their fundraiser for ages. (At least that's what ran through my mind when we participated). Perhaps for the future one of our local businesses, like the pop shop, would be willing to come up with a spinning wheel prize system (luring and fun for kids) that could be used by the town's sports teams (or other) that are looking to have a fundraiser to keep it local, away from big business, and that we know supports our community's values.
Colls kid
11:11 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Do we know where our local small business owners stand on such issues? If we did, we may not support them either. Because Chick-Fil-A is a national corporation, the information has come out. You can make the choice to eat there or not, just as others will choose to eat there or not. I am sure if the beliefs of many business owners/corporations were published, there would be alot of backlash, even in our small town. The goal of the crew team was to raise money for their team, so we should support them as part of our sports community!!
Sean Andrew
12:54 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Kudos, kid. Most insightful comment on this site in a long while.
Does anyone think that McDonalds or burger King or Krispie doesn't have someone near the top who holds similar views? And, the Chick-Fil-A guy has as much right to his views as I have to disagree with them. In the end, my dollar will do the talking.
Hope you raised lots of cash!
MBG
10:28 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Colls kid,
it IS important who supports your team when fundraising. It IS important where the dollars earned at the fast food chain go. It's not hard to research what a company supports with donations, whether it is a franchise or small business in our town... and it does matter if the money goes to condemning any person or group of people and their right to freedom. High school is the time when you should start forming strong beliefs and a sense of ethics and morals. It's not just about earning money for your sports team, it's about human rights and you are not too young to stand up for them.
MBG
5:46 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
I agree on most of the above...however, just to be clear, the stance most people are taking against Chick-fil-a is not about same sex marriage or Cathy's opinion on it. It is about the hate groups that Cathy contributes to with a portion of the dollars spent at the fast food chain. These groups are about discrimination and blatant hatred for the LGBT community. It is not just a same sex marriage issue! Freedom of speech is one thing, but HATRED and desire to see people locked up or hurt in anyway for their sexual orientation is definitely another. A little research into what the groups stand for and use their money towards might help people see what the big deal really is. As for the crew team, I'm sure it's safe to say Collingswood residents understand this was not a deliberate political movement in anyway and would be happy to donate to the team.
SLM
9:41 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Exactly! It makes me so mad to hear that people think the issue is Dan Cathy's view. I couldn't care less about his opinion. When I thought it was just a matter of opinion I continued to eat at Chik-Fil-A, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Once it came out that the corporation was giving money to these groups, I stopped. As much as I love waffle fries, I won't spend my money there knowing where it could end up! Had I been at the event I probably would have donated money to the team without spinning the wheel.
Porterincollingswood
7:04 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
So, we didn't want to pay taxes to support the crew team - forcing the parents and kids to find alternative sources of funding. Then, when they do, we question the means by which they obtain it. That's a perfect example of modern America - do things the way I want and don't ask me to pay for any of it.
Longtime Colls Resident
7:11 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Why is this such an issue. If you don't like Chick-Fil-A don't go there but don't make an issue of it for everyone else. I read that someone ripped up the coupon they won using the wheel....maybe someone else could have used a meal regardless of where it came from. Sorry but Chick-Fil-A gives a lot back to the community in fundraising and also is giving jobs to local people. What the owner does with his money is his business - I am positive that the owners of other major corporations support things that I do not agree with.
Joseph Edward Bonaparte Junior
10:09 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Hey chick fil a. Don't like homosexuality? Don't be gay.
Monko
1:26 am on Monday, August 13, 2012
Aside from the fact that the Cathy family helps fund some despicable organizations, I've never gotten behind this idea of big franchises like this contributing to the community. No offense to the local franchise owner, but if you fill the store with customers who wouldn't otherwise be there, OF COURSE they're happy to kick back 10%, and they probably see better results than papering the community with 10% off coupons. It's not generosity or civic responsibility, it's a sales promotion. So to be a team player, you load up the family and drive to Cherry Hill, have a bunch of fried food and sodas and the team gets 2 or 3 bucks. I understand that it can be tough for a deserving group like the crew team to get that 2 or 3 bucks from enough people, but how much money do they actually receive from one of these fundraisers that couldn't be gotten elsewhere? I remember last year a few families at one of the elementary schools were willing to write checks equal to the likely amount of the funds raised just to opt out of the Chik-fil-A deal. I'll bet they would have fared better at the Night Out if they announced they'd send the Chikn packing for $200.
Colls kid
10:47 am on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Monko,
You make a valid statement at the end about writing a check to the school rather than to go to Chick-Fil-A. I have commented at my child's school that I would rather give my $20 to the school than go to the Pop Shop, spend $20 there and the school gets $2.