Logan captain Sol Szymanski takes initiative, rewarded huge grant for boys soccer team
A Logan High School athletic team gets a big-money surprise, thanks to one team member.
At Logan’s homecoming rally on Friday, Dick’s Sporting Goods presented a $10,000 check to the north La Crosse school, to help fund the soccer program.
The store made the donation after Logan soccer captain Sol Szymanski, Jr., wrote a presentation about how his school could use funding for soccer.
“I just saw that we needed a couple things more, like jerseys, new balls, and whatnot,” Szymanski said. “I saw this ad for Dick’s Sporting, and I thought, ‘Oh, I wonder if they gave out grants to schools that write essays?’”
Szymanski added that he wrote a couple of essays, including one to Dick’s, and months later, the store told him he was a finalist in a grant competition, and then learned he was a winner.
The large gift from Dick’s was said to be a surprise to many of the people connected to Logan soccer.
Rangers soccer coach Tom Kammer said he didn’t know how much money the school would get until a few hours before the rally.
Kammer added that the Logan athletic director kept it quiet, and “Sol did all the hard work for this.” He ssaid the grant was a “nice surprise for everybody.”
The check presentation was part of the pep rally that preceded Logan’s homecoming parade, and the Friday night football game against Onalaska.
By Brad Williams, WIZM News