Waubonsie, Neuqua find common ground in competition

Administrators from Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools plan to present a check to representatives of the Semper Fi Fund on Friday as the two schools play each other in football after a fundraising campaign to benefit veterans. (Courtesy of Neuqua Valley High School)

The stands at Waubonsie Valley High School will be packed with fans in red, white and blue T-shirts as the football team takes on its rival, Neuqua Valley High School, on Friday in a game that’s also a fundraiser for the Semper Fi Fund, which assists veterans. (Courtesy of Neuqua Valley High School)

Marching band members, veterans and first responders stand at attention before a Sept. 11, 2015, football game between Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools, when both teams raised money for the Semper Fi Fund. This year’s rivalry game Friday at Waubonsie will also be a fundraiser for the veterans charity. (Courtesy of Neuqua Valley High School)

When Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley high schools take to the football field for their rivalry game Friday, they’ll also be teaming up to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund. (Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com October 2014)

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Last year, Indian Prairie Unit District 204’s oldest high school played its biggest football game Sept. 11.

Not wanting the 14th anniversary of the terrorist attacks to go unnoticed, administrators at Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley high schools brainstormed ways they could lead their students to do good in memory of something so bad.

They came up with Valley Strong, an effort to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund , which helps injured or critically ill veterans of all branches of the military who have served after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Both schools sold spirit socks with the same design — although in different colors — and the result was a $2,500 donation to the California nonprofit, which provides immediate and lifetime support to its clients.

“It was a matter of us feeling great about the work they do for veterans,” said Jason Schmidtgall, assistant principal at Waubonsie Valley.

The veteran fundraising effort was a departure from the previous theme, when the rivalry game was in October. In those years, the game was a “pink-out” for cancer organizations such as Susan G. Komen , Schmidtgall said. Money from bright pink T-shirts that “sold like hotcakes” would typically amount to between $2,000 and $2,500.

Last year’s campaign grew to include both schools, as does this year’s, which leads up to today’s game at 7:30 p.m. at Waubonsie.

“We’ve got these two schools that are really strong rivals, but we’re both great schools in the same district,” said David Perry, assistant principal of the Kathryn J. Birkett freshman center at Neuqua Valley. “This was a way for us to show some unity.”

T-shirts with the same design have been selling for $10 at both schools — Waubonsie’s in red and white, and Neuqua’s in blue and white, sure to create a patriotic vista as Valley Strong fans fill the stands. Booster clubs in charge of sales have agreed to contribute all proceeds to Semper Fi.

The game will have a winner and a loser, but the fundraising challenge won’t. Administrators say they’ll only announce the total generated by both schools, with no mention of which team brought in more.

“Our rivalry is very strong, but we don’t want it to be contentious,” Schmidtgall said. “This helps create a common ground.”