A fundraiser is in the works to help erect a permanent sign in honor of John Daskal at the Reid Ross High School football stadium that bears his name.
Daskal founded the football program at Reid Ross before finishing his highly successful football coaching career at Terry Sanford High School.
Daskal’s daughters, Kristina Daskal Magyar and Kim Daskal Lee, organized the fundraiser, with assistance from former Cumberland County Schools student activities director Fred McDaniel.
There are currently two signs at Reid Ross recognizing Daskal, one on the back of the press box and another on the scoreboard.
Magyar said they want something more permanent, made out of brick, and resembling a sign that honors former Pine Forest High School principal Harold K. Warren located at that school’s football stadium, which is named for him.
“If I’m correct, it’s going to be around $12,000,’’ Magyar said of the projected cost of the sign honoring Daskal. She said tentative plans are for the dimensions to be about 6 feet tall and from 15 to 20 feet wide. Magyar said if it can be included in the cost, she hopes to have a picture of her father on the sign, along with a brief biography.
It would be located on what is now the main entrance to the stadium, a road entering from the end zone near the scoreboard. The sign would be placed outside the exterior stadium fence, she said.
While the primary fundraiser will be a golf tournament, Magyar said people are invited to submit any donations to the effort. “We are just reaching out to alumni or any friends, people who are interested in making a donation or who want to play in the golf tournament,’’ she said.
Magyar said the family wants to erect the sign not just to recognize Daskal’s success on the field but to honor him for the role he played in the lives of the countless young men he coached over the years.
“A lot of boys have looked at my dad like he was their father,’’ she said. “He was the go-to guy to ask a lot of questions because they did not have that male figure in their life.’’
Magyar said she’s heard countless stories over the years about how her father inspired young people, stories of them calling him back thanking him for the help he provided them.
“It goes to your heart because you’re hearing from all of those kids and they just loved my dad,’’ she said, “not just my dad but all these coaches who have been a part of their lives like that.
“When (someone is) an inspiration to somebody, people want to help because they love them that much for what they’ve done in their lives.’’
The golf tournament is scheduled for Sunday, April 14, at Gates Four Golf and Country Club at 6775 Irongate Dr.
The cost is $65 per player. Individuals or companies who don’t want to play in the tournament can purchase a sign for $100. Golfers can also purchase mulligans for $5.
The first-place team will get $300 and the second- place team $150.
Registration and lunch are at 11:30 a.m., and the tournament begins at 1 p.m.
The deadline for entry is April 9.
For more information about the tournament, contact the following people: Fred McDaniel, 910-709-9281; Dewayne Lee, 910-273-6773; Kristina Daskal Magyar, 910-591-0098; or Kim Daskal Lee, 910-261-9311.