Let the Kids Play Free received a $10,000 donation  in memory of Gene King and Gary Tomasulo from Main Street Collection, whose customer base helped the business take a stand on making sports for children more accessible.

The donation is the result of sales at Main Street Collection’s warehouse earlier this month. The warehouse was opened to the public. King, who died earlier this month, was a former advertising director for the Washington Daily News. Tomasulo, who was killed in a tragic fall on Labor Day 2009, was a champion of downtown Washington. His family raised money for a children’s playground for Festival Park.

The Let the Kids Play Free campaign, supported by the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is about making the cost of playing youth sports more affordable, with the ultimate goal of children being able to play sports at no cost to them.

Tracy Mayo, president of Main Street Collection, said Let the Kids Play Free is a great campaign for the area.

“I felt like it was a great way to get the word out,” Mayo said. “Awesome cause and such a great idea that the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce Foundation has come up with. Hopefully, more kids will have the opportunity to participate in youth sports and more businesses will donate to this worthy cause.”

Mayo wants those familiar with the campaign to spread the word about it to other businesses in town so that in the near future new ball fields, coaches and team sponsors will be needed.

“Might need more ball fields to support the number of kids that will be able to play for free,” she said. “It would be so great if we had 20 teams for every sport.”

“That’s the whole idea!” she said.

Mayo decided to display cards with the names of patrons who went to the sale and supported the campaign on the wall. Thousands of names went on the wall.

Lydie Jennings, assisting the foundation with the campaign, believes in the mission of Let the Kids Play Free.

“If we get more kids playing sports, then we can fight poverty one kid at a time,” Jennings said.

“If we get more kids playing sports, and engaged in school, and graduate,” Jennings said, “they can get jobs and become contributing members of society.”

Stacey Lynch, another campaign supporter, said, “One middle-school kid told me on the sports field recently that if it weren’t for playing sports she’d be selling drugs by now.

“Community is very important, regardless of race or color, and that’s where we’re going to make a difference.”

Catherine Glover, executive director for the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce, praised the campaign.

“The more children we can get involved in sports, the better,” she said. “We’re going to continue to watch it grow and move into a positive direction.”

The money raised is given to different sports leagues with the intention of them using that money to reduce the fees charged children to participate in the leagues.

Wilson Edwards said, “By reducing the basketball fees to $35 from $50 (last year’s fee), (it) made it easier for parents to pay this year.”

“Kids Play Free is moving from sport to sport,” Jennings said. “And giving a little bit can make a difference, so that it will eventually whittle it down to a low fee.”

Wristbands are sold to raise money and awareness about the campaign. There are different wristbands for different leagues, as well as one to help create an endowment for future sports leagues.

Churches, civic groups, businesses and individuals may join the campaign by getting involved as team sponsors, coaches, collecting used sports gear for distribution at beginning of each sports season, providing rides for children whose parents are working and can’t transport their children to practices or games.

For more information about Let the Kids Play Free, visit www.kidsplayfree.org.