If you were planning on helping out the local middle school by sponsoring a product through Fanfare Sports Marketing, don’t.

Contrary to what the article in Tuesday’s paper said, Demopolis Middle School principal Clarence Jackson said he did not agree to partner with the business, nor did anyone ever say the school would sell items during the fall football games.

School officials never chose to sell Kan Koolers, or tote bags, at their games, Jackson said, the only thing they agreed to do when it came to Fanfare was receive a free shipment of seat cushions to give to students.

“They contacted our counselor and told her they would send us cushions to be used as learning incentives for our students and we could give them out if they’ve done well in a certain area,” Jackson said, “Then they said ‘if’ we wanted to, we could choose to sell the items, but she said no to that part.”

Thus, the DMS staff never agreed to have Fanfare contact local businesses to raise money for the school and the business has been using the DMS name to make a profit without the Jackson and his staff being aware.

“We would never call a company we didn’t know to solicit donations for us,” Jackson said, “and we never told them we’d sell this stuff.”

After contacting the business yesterday, Jackson said the phone calls asking for sponsorship for DMS should have stopped. But in case area business owners do get a phone call from Fanfare Sports on behalf of Demopolis Middle School, decline the offer.