Oakland Raiders Donate 10% of Tickets Sales To Oakland Unified

Oakland Raiders fans have the reputation of being loud, well-costumed, and sometimes even obnoxious. Now, they will also be known as supporters of education.
Every season ticket purchased and paid in full between May 1 and June 30 will have 10 percent of its gross donated to the Oakland public schools. With season tickets starting at $260 a piece and costing as much as $1,510, the donation to the schools can be substantial.
The schools could use the help. Last year, the school district went through a funding crisis. Teachers were laid off and programs were cut. The schools need help from the community, and the Raiders are stepping up.
Hopefully, the commitment doesn't stop there. Perhaps the Black Hole could show up at a Spelling Bee or Mathlete competition? Every NFL team gives back, but few have shown such a bold commitment to their community. Kudos to the Raiders and their fans.

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Safety Michael Bryd Signs with Southern Utah

Things started slow, but by December the ball was rolling. Byrd and his parents didn’t know how the recruiting game was played, however, so they leaned on family friends, like former high school basketball coach Vic Butler, and professional recruiting services, like Redzone Recruits, to get the word out.

“It started with him getting selected to the all-star team (in December),” Rosado said. “That really opened up the door for everything. From there, a lot of schools were calling,”

Byrd’s pursuit of a college scholarship started too late in the process to attract any offers in time for National Signing Day on Feb. 1, but the persistence of him, his family, his coaches and the professionals at Redzone Recruits eventually earned him the scholarship he coveted.

“We were driving somewhere, I think San Antonio or Houston, and then our recruiter called from Redzone and told my dad (I’d gotten a scholarship offer),” Byrd said. “I was excited. I was just smiling. Somebody was actually looking at me (to play college football), it felt great.”

“It’s quite an example for our younger kids coming up to always keep that dream and keep that hope and to work hard,” Sanchez said. “Good things come of it.” (full story)

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