To the Editor,

Thanks to the generosity of several local citizens, 31 members of the Wareham Boys & Girls Club were treated to a trip to Fenway Park to watch the Cape Cod League All Star Game last Wednesday. The children were very excited to be at the game and especially at Fenway Park and enthusiastically cheered on the hometown team.

Unfortunately, their cheering was an annoyance to some as they were very loud. Two petite 7-year-old girls were probably the loudest. I want to apologize to those who were disturbed by their cheering and moved to other seats.

I am writing this letter both to give thanks for the trip, to apologize to those offended, and to explain why the kids were as noisy as they were as I don't want them labeled as being bad and unruly.

These 31 children went to Fenway to cheer the Gatemen and cheer them they did. As players names came up on the screen - they were loudly cheered.

For the last 4 years, TDBank has taken a group from the Club to Celtics and Bruins games at the TDBank Center where the sections that cheer the loudest and do the most dancing get on the Jumbotron.

On Wednesday night, the kids were doing what they have done and seen at previous major sporting events. They were trying to get on the big screen. I honestly did not at the time see anything wrong with what they were doing, but then, I deal with kids making noise all day long, so not much in the line of noise bothers me.

My well-known response to adults who enter the Club at some of our nosiest times and ask "How can you stand it?" is, "That's why I'm here and you're not." Ten boys playing a serious game of basketball, another group in the Game Room playing ping pong, pool or Fose ball, others lined up playing Foursquare, little girls playing house, others doing arts and crafts all with lots of noise is music to my ears. I love it. They are happy, involved and in their own space. I am described by most as being "old school" meaning pretty strict, but I apparently dropped the ball last Wednesday night and I offer my sincere apologies to those affected.

Barbara Sullivan
Unit Director
Wareham Boys & Girls Club