Crunch time coming up for East Lynn C team

As East Lynn’s C-Squad football team finished off Worcester to become the first team from Lynn to represent New England in the National Championships in Mickey Mouse’s playground at Disney World – the excitement for this accomplishment by a group of 34 11-and-12 year olds was quickly supplanted by a sense of urgency.”We desperately need help,” assistant coach Jeff Earp said. “In this economy, we understand it is hard. But this is a great group of kids and they need to go. They earned it. We need the community to step up. We need the big businesses to step up.”By winning the New England region, East Lynn Pop Warner earned the tall task of needing to fundraise around $45,000 for the squad to be able to compete in the tournament. Unlike the Little League World Series where it is all-expenses paid for the participants, all teams are responsible to come up with the cash for the kids to participate. Disney is requiring the money to be in their possession by Thursday at the latest.”It’s all about the kids,” East Lynn Pop Warner President Paul McGough said. “That’s why we (all of the volunteers) do this. It gives them a great structure for life. It also keeps them off of the streets.”On Wednesday, former Patriots wide receiver David Givens will be giving a helping hand. He will be signing autographs between 6:30 p.m.and 8:30 p.m. at the Prince House of Pizza, on Route One in Saugus. It will cost five dollars to have your own paraphernalia signed, or seven dollars for an autographed picture. All proceeds will go towards sending the C squad down to Disney World.Also on Wednesday, Manning Field will host two playoff matches: Gloucester vs. Masconomet and BC High vs. Everett. The 50-50 raffle for both games will also go to help the teams’ quest for bringing a national championship to Lynn.East Lynn Pop Warner will also take donations directly at the Lazy Dog Sports Bar and Grill in Wyoma Square and at McGough’s Plumbing, 100 Federal Street in Lynn (directly next door to the Lido).McGough emphasized that there would not be enough time to mail in donations, that all would need to be given directly to these drop-off spots. He also asked that all checks to be made out to East Lynn Pop Warner.”A lot of these kids would never have a chance to see Disney World,” said McGough. “They have earned this. We have to get them there. We are going to get them there.”