Tony Taylor is well aware of Baltimore County's budget restrictions, but that shouldn't stand in the way of improvements at Perry Hall High School, he said.

As president of Perry Hall High School's Athletic Boosters Club, Taylor is leading an effort to gain support from local businesses to help renovate the school's football stadium and replace the scoreboard.

"Perry Hall needs changes. It needs to be updated. It needs another addition ... By funding athletic projects through donations, we hope to take some of the pressure off of the county, so they can focus on those endeavors," Taylor said.

On Thursday afternoon, the Boosters gained an enthusiastic supporter—Rosedale Federal Savings and Loan Association, which is headquartered in Perry Hall, presented a $20,000 sponsorship donation to the project.

The bank opted to present the sponsorship in a lump sum, rather than break it up into $5,000 payments over the course of four years. The gesture could speed up the process of gaining a new scoreboard, which Taylor anticipates becoming a reality by spring 2013.

"A lot of our employees graduated from Perry Hall, including my wife," said Thomas Wintz, president and CEO of Rosedale Federal. "We donated because we're here, we've always been a huge part of the community."

Taylor said he has been working closely with County Councilman David Marks to drum up private sector support for school athletics.

"Tony called me because he was looking for ways to find funding. One of my jobs as councilman is to find ways to get projects done, even when we can't rely on public funding," Marks said.

Marks suggested that Taylor contact Rosedale Federal, which has also donated to the Perry Hall Mansion and the Perry Hall Library's Reading Garden. "They're constantly giving back to the community," Marks said.

Delegates John Cluster and Joe Boteler each stated that as public funding wanes, special projects must rely on business and private donations.

"Government is spread so thin, that it's important to get those sponsorships," Cluster said.

State Sen. Kathy Klausmeier praised the bank for stepping up to the project. "It's a wonderful community bank—I can't think of any better way to describe it," she said.

More information on the stadium project and sponsorship opportunities is available on the Booster's website.

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