The following article is reposted from the July 18, 2008 West County Journal
Last modified: Friday, July 18, 2008 5:15 PM CDT
Chesterfield group scores big across river
Gives equipment to Fairview Heights league
By Mary Shapiro
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| Rick Graefe photo/ Jim Zara, president of the Chesterfield Football Association, and Chesterfield Mayor John Nations help unload about 150 helmets that were recently donated by CFA to a new league starting in Fairview Heights. |
Jim Zara, president of the Chesterfield Football Association, didn’t skip a beat as he explained why his organization is determined to help a fledgling youth group in Illinois.
“We’ve got extra equipment, thanks to our very generous sponsors,” he said. “We’re always getting new stuff. This is equipment that a lot of organizations would take years to come up with, and I feel great that we’re able to do it.”
Zara joined Chesterfield Mayor John Nations and Gary Bertolucci, a former CFA president, July 16 to unload dozens of bright yellow football helmets and shoulder pads out of an equipment trailer on the parking lot at the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Association football fields off North Outer Forty Road.
CFA, a non-profit in its fourth year of operation, is donating 150 reconditioned helmets and 30 shoulder pads to the Fairview Heights Athletic Club, which just got started this year, Bertolucci said.
The CFA, between its cheerleaders and football players, serves about 800 local youth ages 7 through 13, most of whom live in Chesterfield or Wildwood.
“CFA is a youth football league, associated with the Gateway Football League (serving kids in five local counties), and we grew out of the old Bonhomme Football Association, which had served West County kids for about 50 years,” Zara said. “Our season runs from July to Thanksgiving, with practice starting July 28, and we have 30 teams, almost all of which practice every night.”
Almost 350 adults volunteer with the group as football coaches, assistant coaches, business managers, cheer coaches, board members, or in other capacities, Zara explained.
“Our growth has been crazy; we have a waiting list,” he said.
CFA can be contacted at the Web site www.chesterfieldfootball.com.
Equipment being donated likely has about 10 more years of life, Zara said.
“It’s incredible what you’re doing,” Nations told Zara. “My kids have played in CFA teams in the past. They’re a great organization that’s grown from, originally, only 100 kids. We’re fortunate to have CFA and the people running it. Volunteers like them are what makes Chesterfield such a great place.”
Zara credited the donation as Bertolucci’s idea.
“The Fairview Heights group is just getting started and, as is typical, they’re underfunded,” Bertolucci said. “We’ve been successful. Now, it’s time to pass it on.”
Representatives of the Fairview Heights club were happy to get the donations, which were picked up by Mark Robinson and Daryl Black.
“Fairview Heights Athletic Club is in its first year,” said Robinson, the club’s athletic director. “Our practices start Aug. 2, our games start Sept. 2, and we serve about 150 kids ages 5 to 14. We, too, are non-profit and all volunteer. We started up after an old league folded about 10 or 15 years ago.
“Lance Williams, now our president, had a vision to restart it, and we play under the Tri County Football Association in Illinois. We were built on coaches from other organizations, such as the Belleville Little Devils and Belleville Knights, but we give kids the opportunity to play football closer to their homes in the Fairview Heights area. “
With any non-profit, resources are limited, Robinson said.
“It was definitely a blessing to get this equipment,” he said.
Robinson mentioned the city of Fairview Heights also has made a donation to help the group with overhead costs.
“We plan to get a banner made, with CFA on it, for our playing field, to give them credit,” he said. “We also hold a Pilgrim Bowl at the end of our season, and we’d love to bring a couple CFA teams to that tournament.”
Bertolucci said this donation isn’t CFA’s only one.
“We are also donating some helmets to the In Your Corner youth football organization in North County and have donated some to the Francis Howell Central Junior Spartans team,” he pointed out.
You can contact Mary Shapiro at mshapiro@yourjournal.com.