Sports commentary: Finding funding for the fun

In this poor economy nearly every person, business and organization is making budget cuts and sports and recreation is no exception.

When I was growing up, I watched the hydroplane races on Lake Washington in Seattle every year during the first weekend in August. Since moving to Bigfork in June 2008, I have made it back for the festivities twice now, including last weekend. While rainy weather put a damper on the boating, I found out Sunday morning that there were actually much bigger problems leading up to this year's Seafair hydroplane races. In fact, they were almost canceled due to a lack of funding.

Following financial troubles, General Motors removed itself as the title sponsor of Seafair, and without any other businesses willing to step-up in the corporation's absence, the Unlimited Hydroplane races were in jeopardy of being canceled due to a $40,000 shortfall. However, when the owner of the Duke's Chowder House restaurant chain in Seattle, Duke Moscrip, heard the news, he offered to donate the amount needed.

"It would have been a shame to not have the race after 60 years," Moscrip said during a news conference in April. "It's part of Seattle, and we don't need to lose anything more. We lost the Sonics, and that was embarrassing. We don't need any more black eyes."

The Seattle-area native told reporters that he remembered racing wooden hydros tied behind bicycles with his friends when he was a kid. He felt that it was important to salvage the existence of the roots of that memory for himself and for future generations. While saving a sporting event may seem like a silly reason to celebrate to some people, to many it is as important as anything. It is what makes summer in Seattle summer and is a treasured tradition that community members value and want to keep alive. I for one was pretty thankful to get to sit on a boat in Lake Washington and watch the hydroplane races. The air show was great, complete with my favorite, the Blue Angels, and being 10 feet away from the wakeboard demo with professional Shaun Murray zooming past our boat on his board was incredible. However, it wouldn't have been Seafair without the Unlimited Hydroplane race.

Those who have made the trip to Polson the past two summers to see the slightly smaller hydroplanes race will likely relate to the thrill spectators get from these weekends of racing. You may also wonder what happened to this year's race in Polson. I ran into the owners of Anderson Broadcasting, which coordinated the event and was one of the largest local sponsors of it, the other day and asked them what was going on with the Polson Regatta. They said their national sponsor dropped out and they were unable to find another in time to hold this year's race.

During times of economic despair it is hard to justify purchasing frivolous things for ourselves and I guess corporations feel the same way about sponsoring events. It is a fine line though. Should we praise those that make cuts to things we love in order to save their company and ultimately jobs? Do we kiss the feet of those that step in and save these events with their contributions? Or, are they the ones in the wrong?

Moscrip was criticized by some, who called his donation a marketing ploy. While still others may see it as giving to an unneeded cause. The marketing accusations seem ridiculous because whether he did or he didn't do it for that reason he is gaining no more than any other sponsor of a sporting event. In terms of helping a not-so-top-priority cause I guess I can see that point. As schools are canceling sports and people are losing jobs it is a little odd to see something like a boat race be saved to much applause. However, I think we all deserve a little fun and if Moscrip wants to foot the bill, by all means.

Really, it is not too different than Bigfork working to ensure that the high school cross-country and golf teams have enough funding to stay around this year though teachers were cut. Life is about priorities and balance and I don't think any of these examples cross the line. Sports are healthy distractions, as are traditions, and they provide people with joy, and sometimes even create revenue for businesses and ultimately jobs.