Championship Team: L-W East Sports Boosters Carry the Load

Orville Redenbacher would be very proud.

It was during a break in a freshman girls volleyball game. Dave Brost was jonesing for popcorn. He wasn't the athletic director at Lincoln-Way East back then; he was a parent cheering on his oldest daughter.

"I went to the hallway to get a bag of popcorn and there were no concessions," Brost said. "I figured, 'What the heck is this?' So, I found this guy, Tom Lewis (former Lincoln-Way athletic director), and he said there was no concession stand.

"I asked about boosters, and he said they hadn't had (a boosters organization) in five or six years. I said, 'That's not right.' He asked me if I was interested. I told him I was. My daughter was a freshman, and I was going to live the next four years there and had two more (kids) coming right behind her. We founded the sports boosters in 1987, and my wife and I were the first co-presidents."

Role of L-W East Boosters

Now, nearly 25 years later, the Lincoln-East sports boosters continue to play a crucial role in the success of the diverse athletic programs at the school. The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month and includes a group of executive board members and general board members totaling about 20.

"We're very lucky because there's a lot of schools that don't have this," Brost said. "Parents of kids that play sports want to be a part of this because we've been successful and success breeds success. We've been fortunate to have so many people come in and help."

The 2010-11 sports boosters included the executive team of President Greg McDougall, Executive Director Patricia Contey, Vice President Ken Slawkowski, Treasurer Virginia Perozzi and Secretary Heide Fuessel, as well as board members Sharon Duffin, Yasemin Ersun-Hallsby, Sue Gray, Karen Gilman, Marty Gramont, Jenn Huizinga, Debbie Marin, Punkie Ritter, Laura Ruvoli, Bob Swafford, Wendy Tomaras, Debbie Witt, Joanne Durling, Diane Krolicki and Sue Robustelli.

McDougall stepped down as president at the June 15 meeting of the Lincoln-Way boosters. Contey will assume his postion, while Debbie Witt takes over as the new executive director.

During the 2010-11 school year, the sports boosters already have awarded $54,000 in coach’s requests and an additional $6,000 in scholarship money. In the prior year, $46,000 was awarded in coach's requests, $6,000 for a senior scholarship, windscreens were added to the football bleachers and ads were purchased in state program booklets for teams and athletes that advanced to the state competition.

Throughout the year, the Lincoln-Way East sports boosters produce an ad book, which is sold at all fall events, participate in the Frankfort Fall Fest, host a Breakfast With Santa, an alternating-theme Spring Fundraiser and provide concessions at East's home athletic contests, including the always heavily-attended football games.

"They've given us a lot of dough, especially during these tough times," Brost said. "I'd say over the past 10 years they've probably given us close to half a million bucks. It's been right around $50,000 a year for the last 10 years. It's unheard of, it really is."

Introducting L-W East Newcomers to the Boosters Program

New families first will be exposed to the sports boosters during registration in August. The sports boosters will have a table and plenty of spirit wear for sale. Since newcomers usually purchase the most products, this is generally a very good time for parents of freshmen to learn about the boosters.

"Registration is always a busy time to get even more people to help do something," Contey said. "Usually, it's concessions at first and then this and that.”

Contey has served with the boosters for four years now. She helped out a lot at Mokena Junior High when her son was a student there. Since he's always played a lot of sports, she wanted to get involved with the sports boosters.

"I've just stayed with it," she said.

School registration in August is a chance to get involved right away. Families can purchase a membership for $30. Membership entitles all members of a family free access to all hosted athletics events at Lincoln-Way East, as well as at Lincoln-Way North, Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West.

"If you're a family of four and you go to a couple football games, you've got the cost covered right there," Brost said. "We've been doing this for years and we probably have anywhere between 600 and 800 people who do this."

It's also a way for some of the busier parents, those who just don't have the time to tackle a new responsibility, to make a difference in an inactive way.

"There's some that can help out and get in to things for free and that's all they want to do,” Brost said. “And then you have others who pretty much say, 'What do you need me to do?' (They) are willing to do many different things.”

While everyone's free time isn't the same, any help is a big help and it's something Contey stresses.

"Some people think the school is so big and that we have enough people to handle it all," she said. "We can use anyone's help who is willing."

You can obtain additional information about the Lincoln-Way East sports boosters by e-mailing contact@lweastathleticboosters.org.