Naperville Central boosters to help low-income students buy gear

Some athletes are born with talent for a sport.

Others spend hours each day practicing just to make the team.

Both groups need the tools to perfect their craft.

The Naperville Central High School Athletic Booster Club is hoping to make sure money doesn't stand in the way of that.

The club, in partnership with the school's athletic department, now helps low-income athletes purchase the equipment they need through the Rick Jeffers Redhawk Fund.

The idea came from a group of football parents at the school, according to Peter Shamburek, former club president.

"They saw that some students, because of financial constraints, could not enjoy the full high school athletic experience," he said via e-mail.

The fund is named for longtime Booster Club member Rick Jeffers, whose three children - Blake, Kara and Katlyn - played sports at Central.

"He was involved in each one of the kids' lives and one of those dads that loved sports and loved to attend their games," said club President Brian McClowry.

Jeffers died in March 2008 after battling colon cancer.

Although club members rolled the program out last year, they found they needed to make a few tweaks and no longer require the family of the athlete being helped to volunteer at club events. The names of recipients are kept confidential.

"We're going to fine-tune the program so we can possibly impact as many student athletes as we can," Shamburek said.

The club also plans to give out a college scholarship in Jeffers' name.

To apply for assistance from the Rick Jeffers Redhawk Fund, Central students can call their coach or the school's athletic department at (630) 420-6444. Applications are available online at http://schools.naperville203.org/central/.