"Jonathan, I couldn't be more proud of you," Steinbrenner wrote to Jonathan Farrar, a student in the Midland School District of Pleasant Plains. "I agree with you when you said, 'The New York Yankees are important to me, but my school is more important.' ... it takes quite a man to give up his personal dream for a higher purpose."
Arkansas' state Board of Education had considered merging Midland schools into any of seven surrounding districts, but voted Monday to keep the district alive after townspeople raised $400,000 to cover a projected budget shortfall. Farrar donated $1,000 that he had set aside to pay for a trip to New York this summer for his 13th birthday in May.
Steinbrenner said in the letter he had heard about Farrar's efforts, and he invited him to New York for a game at Yankee Stadium, and a personal tour of the stadium and the field during batting practice. He also replaced Jonathan's $1,000.
Lea Ramsey, Farrar's mother and an organizer of the Midland fundraising efforts, said her son had approached her about the donation when he heard about the school district's problems.
"I told him he really needed to think about this and pray about it," Ramsey said. "He told me that he just thought this was the right thing to do."
Ramsey said she didn't know when he would go for the game and tour of the stadium.
"I love the Yankees. ...," Farrar said. "Yankee Stadium sounds great, but going to another school district didn't sound good to me at all."
