Three teenagers have discovered an important piece of information that had evaded Bostonians for over two decades. When Jeremy Jacobs reached a deal to develop the $160 million TD Garden facility 24 years ago, he agreed to host three fundraisers a year to benefit the agency that oversees the city’s recreational facilities. Nobody seemed to notice those fundraisers never came to fruition teenagers Lorrie Pearson, Mabel Gondres and Jonah Muniz decided to dig in and investigate.
Yet another reason why using public funds for private stadiums is a bad idea.
According to The Boston Globe, their discovery has already led to TD Garden and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation beginning a discussion to find a resolution:
The discovery was the result of a painstaking search that involved a civics lesson in legislative sausage-making, the close eye of a neighborhood activist, and a bit of detective work by several determined teenagers.
Now, Garden executives, state officials, and the teenagers themselves are trying to answer one final question: What happens now as a result of their find?
In separate letters to the students, TD Garden — as it is now known — and state Department of Conservation and Recreation officials acknowledged the students’ findings. TD Garden president Amy Latimer referred the students to state officials, who told the students they are reviewing “strategies going forward.”
The student’s project began by trying to raise funds for a new regulation-size ice rink in a poor and at-risk neighborhood that would cost $21.5 million. They are hoping a one-time payout by TD Garden to cover for the last 24 years could provide the funds for their rink. We’ll see if they get their wish, but at the very least their research should hold TD Garden accountable for holding its share of yearly fundraisers moving forward.
These teenagers deserve a round of applause and shows that learning at any age is very important.