Springfield Junior Dawgs Continue Commitment to Safety

Members of the Springfield Junior Dawgs and their families took time out of their Fourth of July holiday to hold a flag fundraiser as part of their ongoing commitment to safety.

Started last year by coach Michael Dzikowski, this year's flag sale raised funds for the Dawgs to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AED), which are portable automatic devices used to restore normal heart rhythm to patients in cardiac arrest. An AED is a life-saving device because cardiac arrest is a sudden condition that is fatal if not treated within a few minutes, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, which states that between 5,000-7,000 youth in the United States die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest each year.

Dzikowski explained that at $1,200 to $1,400 per AED, the Dawgs' goal was to at least raise enough money to purchase two each year for the next three years as there are six teams. Selling flags outside local businesses from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., the group was more successful than anticipated. 

"Although it started out a bit slow, I am very proud to say that we raised $2,727 this year," Dzikowski noted, "which may just be enough for the program to purchase three Automated External Defibrillators this year, one more than my original goal. Hopefully, over the next few years we can add a few more so that each team at every level has one on the sideline at practices and games."    

Last July Fourth, the Springfield Dawgs raised money to purchase better equipment, including more advanced football helmets to help reduce concussions.

"It is times like this that make you feel proud to be a Springfield resident and realize that although small, your town comes up 'big' to help others in the community, especially its children," Dzikowski explained. "A special thanks to all the coaches and families who took the time to sell flags and a very special thanks to Cindy Apicella and Hilary Turnbull for taking the lead.  Without these two, we would have never reached our goal."