Statement Regarding Marlins

To The Citizens Of Morehead City and Others Whom It May Concern:

The Boys and Girls Club of Coastal Carolina has recently been portrayed as being in opposition to the use of the facilities at Rotary Park/O’Neal field by the college wood bat team known as the “Morehead Marlins.”  This portrayal is not accurate.  The Boys & Girls Club has no position on this matter.  

Our organization believes that it would be inappropriate for us to enter into the civic debate regarding the ballpark and its use.  Such matters are not directly related to, nor do they directly affect, our mission to provide a safe and nurturing environment in our club facilities to serve the needs of our community’s youth, particularly disadvantaged youth. 

The Boys & Girls Club’s stance on alcohol use, whether during a sporting event or otherwise, is briefly stated as:  There should be no consumption of alcohol by persons under 21 years of age; no one should drink and operate any kind of motorized or non-motorized vehicle; and no one who is pregnant should consume alcohol of any kind.  This stance is part of our program designed to help our youth become responsible and civic minded young adults, capable of making proper decisions in their daily lives.    

We regret that this issue has caused such division in the community and hope that the Town Council of Morehead City will find a reasonable resolution that best suits the needs of the citizens and visitors of the Town.  We thank the Council and the people of our community for their prior and on-going support of our programs, particularly during these difficult economic times which have generated an ever increasing demand for our services by those that need us most.