As Bristol Borough’s Stacey Dragon enjoyed a program on the Hallmark channel, her 21-year-old son Daniel was nearby, getting ready to go out. During the commercial break, an advertisement for a grant offered by Jersey Mike’s Subs aired multiple times. Dragon didn’t think anything of it, and she didn’t think her son did either.
But Daniel was paying close attention.
Dragon’s son nominated her for the franchise’s Sub Abover grant, which distributes funds to locals making a positive impact in their community. As the founder of Bristol Sports, a nonprofit that provides athletic opportunities to area kids and teens, Dragon certainly met this criteria.
Thanks to Daniel’s efforts, Dragon was selected out of more than 3,200 nominations from across the country to receive $5,000 as one of five Sub Abover grant awardees.
“This, I didn’t see coming and I legitimately was floored. I had no clue that my son did it,” said Dragon. “Shock was not even the word when my son called me. I work from home and he was like, ‘Listen, if a 732 number calls, answer it.’ It’ll be such a nice boost for our program.”
In his nomination letter, Daniel said, “My mom works tirelessly to make sure all the kids in our town who want to play sports, play. She finds sponsors, grants, programs, etc. But with COVID, her program was hit hard financially with limited local sponsorship and funding.”
According to Dragon, the pandemic certainly had a negative impact on Bristol Sports, which was formed as the nonprofit arm of Bristol Borough Little League in 2017 to supplement the latter and add more programming.
“When COVID hit, we didn’t have a season initially. The kids had registered and we had to cancel the season. When we were allowed to open back up, it was with a ton of restrictions. The little money we did have in the bank, we had to utilize to make sure that we were following everything that Pennsylvania put in, everything that Little League put in and everything that the council wanted to see,” reflected Dragon.
This included purchasing 16 additional sets of catchers’ gear, which she said ranges from $179 for the 7- and 8-year-olds to $300 for the teens, a sanitizer sprayer, masks and more. All of these items came out of the nonprofit’s operating budget since sponsorship was understandably low.
“All of our businesses locally that support us got hit hard. They’re small businesses. They couldn’t open, they couldn’t bring people into their restaurants. Some of them are pubs, so they didn’t have any bar business,” said Dragon. “We really couldn’t send a letter out and say, ‘Hey, can you support us and send us money for a team.’”
Her hope is that the Sub Abover grant replenishes Bristol Sports’ budget and ensures a successful season, which opens April 9. Currently, the nonprofit offers kickball, baseball, tee ball and softball, all of which are broken down by age groups. Additionally, it’s working with Bristol Borough Recreation to possibly bring more options, including a chess club.
A key mission of Dragon is to give every interested child the chance to play. Though a T-Mobile Little League Call Up Grant is available to cover registration fees, some families don’t qualify for this assistance. The Sub Abover grant will help make this possible.
For Dragon, who was part of the first girls’ softball program in the borough from ages 8-18, it’s an honor to introduce athletics – and all the benefits that come along with them – to the next generation. Not only do sports keep kids out of trouble, said Dragon, they often result in lifelong friendships and relationships. Over the years, Dragon has witnessed several “prom-posals” on the field.
“The bonds that these kids make, it’s just amazing. The friends that they make, the connections. There may be a kid out there that you never thought you were gonna talk to in school, but you get out onto that field or court and you’ve got some sort of connection. Get them involved. See if they like it,” said Dragon. “It’s like a family. I don’t know how else to even explain it. These programs just make you a family and it just takes one season to get them out there and give them a shot.”
In fact, many of those involved with Bristol Sports are part of Dragon’s own family. Her son Daniel coaches several teams, her brothers’ children are enrolled in the program, and Daniel’s father, part of the Bristol Borough Police Department, helped make the nonprofit a donor of the force’s No Shave November fundraiser.
Representatives from Jersey Mike’s Subs are slated to attend opening day, which Dragon admitted is always a stressful experience for her. As someone who dislikes public speaking, addressing a massive crowd fills her with dread every year. And at this point, she’s unsure what the Jersey Mike’s Subs folks have planned.
Regardless, she’s thrilled to be a Sub Abover grant recipient for the benefit of Bristol Sports, which drew an impressive 146 kids to its kickball program in just the first year.
“Since we started the program, Jersey Mike’s has awarded $125,000 in grants to individuals and organizations that are making a big difference in our local communities,” said Rich Hope, chief marketing officer, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “We are inspired by Stacey’s story and her important work.”
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
