The booster club is currently looking for two treasurers to replace Tina Sealey, the club's former treasurer who turned herself into the Douglasville Police on March 16, after being charged with one count of Felony Theft by Deception. Between June 2009 and Sept 2010, Sealy is believed to have stolen $6,250 from the club. Read Patch story here.
The booster club was in the process of paying for new uniforms for the football team when they suspended taking donations and soliciting the public, according to Robert Hale, president of the Douglas County Football booster club.
"Every time we'd ask to see the financial reports, we would'nt get to," Hale said. "There always was an excuse; it was never provided.
"The sad thing is, we were disappointed," he said. "But we're just going to keep on driving on."
Hale said the booster club is trying to update the club's bylaws to incorporate some checks and balances, "that is why we want two treasurers. We also want to make sure they're bonded as well.
"It came down to the fact that one treasurer had 100 percent of the say-so," he said. "And I've known her for 11 years. Her husband was my son's football coach at one point. It was a trust issue."
Hale said the team is ready to start taking donations from the public again and then they can finish paying off those new football uniforms, replacing the 10-year old ones the kids are wearing.
"I want to thank Kurt Gables (owner of ) for allowing us an extension to pay off the uniforms," Hale said. "He was very helpful."
Hales said the booster club could have collected between $20,000 and $30,000 during the time they stopped taking donations. He fears the public has lost confidence in the club but wants to assure the public that things will be fixed when the club starts taking contributions again.
The team will also finish paying for a "Speed Track" machine, he says the club still owes $4,000 on. It's a machine the booster club purchased so players could build up their endurance.
The booster club also feeds the team before and after most JV and Varsity games.
Donations from businesses or individuals can be made at dctigerfootball.org.
