Let’s discuss realities. The TDSB (Toronto District School Board) has no money. There are 39 school swimming pools slated for closure because the TDSB can’t afford to keep them open. The province is cutting the TDSB’s funding for computers by 21% so Future Shop offered to donate $50,000 to each of two needy Toronto high schools within 7 kilometres of a Future Shop store for computer labs. What does Future Shop ask in return? The labs would be painted in the official Future Shop corporate colours - light grey with red trim - and possibly reference their name. Many of the TDSB’s computers are obsolete, so why aren’t they jumping at the offer?

There are those who are opposed to corporate funding with strings attached and they consider Future Shop’s request for the paint colour and possible reference to their name a string. Big deal! Where is the harm? They are an electronics chain. They do not sell or promote anything immoral, illegal, dangerous, or harmful. They have every right to ask for come consideration for their sponsorship. It’s about time that the public sector got onboard with sponsorship. Hasn’t anyone noticed the Rogers Centre, the Panasonic Theatre, the Air Canada Centre, the Rexhall Tennis Centre, and the list goes on? Everyone benefits. Corporations get to do good deeds in exchange for a little visibility and the public sector that has no money gets to reap the benefits.

The TDSB should be encouraging these types of corporate relationships. Perhaps if they got off their high horses and stopped worrying about what strings are attached, 39 swimming pools wouldn’t be closing.