Officials: Be wary of phone solicitations

February 27, 2013

Big Spring school officials are asking people to take care if they are approached to buy advertising related to high school athletic programs.

High School Principal Mike Ritchey said he has recently received complaints from people who have bought advertising they thought was going to benefit local athletic programs.

“These firms have claimed they are representing Big Spring athletics … and that's false,” Ritchey said. “The proceeds from those ad sales are not going to benefit our kids.”

Big Spring Independent School District does sanction ad sales several times a school year, but Ritchey said there were several differences between those “legitimate” campaigns and the recent phone solicitations.
Standard procedure for BSISD-approved campaigns are for coaches, athletes or booster club members to solicit advertising money in person, Ritchey said.

“If something like this comes from the Big Spring athletic program, it's going to be in the form of a personal visit,” Ritchey said. “And these people will have credentials on them so folks can know they are who they claim to be.”

He added the unauthorized solicitations have another negative consequence.

“This really hurts our cause because business people have only so much money they can spend on advertising, so ad money that might directly benefit Big Spring athletics is, in fact, going elsewhere,” Ritchey said.

If people have any questions as to the validity of any solicitation campaign involving Big Spring athletics, Ritchey encourages them to call the high school at 264-3641, the athletic training center at 264-3662 or the school district's central office at 264-3600.