Proud CHS senior “Football Moms” organize and implement the 2024 “IMPACT” program
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – Nikki Malley, a very proud mother of Brenden Malley, a 2024 Chester High School senior football player, was looking at Tik-Tok, a social media platform, and ran across a very moving activity that another high school football team had done this year.
The activity brought tears to her eyes as she watched the senior boys from this particular high school carry out their program. Malley said, “After seeing this group of senior boys carry out their presentations, we got the wheels turning for our own IMPACT Project.”
“The CHS senior moms have a chat group and I sent them a video of the other football teams’ senior players conducting their program. Immediately my idea and suggestion for us to encourage the Chester seniors to do a similar program quickly took off!”
In the video, it showed the senior football players presenting a T-shirt to a selected individual who had made a significant impact on their lives. The presentations were a surprise to the individual recipients, usually a teacher or staff member, and the player basically walked into the recipient’s classroom or office and presented them with the shirt.
On the front of the shirt were the words,” I Made an IMPACT” or “Made an IMPACT” with the school mascot in the middle of the logo. On the back of the shirt was the player’s name across the shoulders of the shirt and his football jersey number.
As the player presented the shirt to the recipient, he told the person that he or she had made a significant impact on his life and thanked him or her for doing so. Hugs and tears frequently followed.
Malley said, “Once we decided to do a similar program, we had to act fast. We were in the 2024 IHSA Class 2A State Football Playoffs and wanted the boys to experience this opportunity prior to playing the second-round game against Maroa-Forsyth.”
Malley then started collecting senior player’s names and numbers and contacted Silkworm, Inc. of Murphysboro to get a shirt design started. CHS Principal, Jeremy Blechle gave his approval and gave her the green light to proceed. Other senior mothers chipped in on funding the “IMPACT PROJECT”, and the ball got rolling in lightning speed under Malley’s direction.
The rules for selecting an IMPACT recipient included 1) the person had to be a school employee or volunteer at a school, and 2) the recipients had to be easily accessible.
Malley said, “It took a lot of people to make this project work. Tim Lochhead and Dr.Jim Beers went to each presentation to film and photograph the interaction. Their talents are what made the final project amazing.”
“Staff at Chester High School, Chester Grade School, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, and Chester Construction supply were humbling. They allowed us to interrupt their daily routines to make the presentations possible. In addition, the administrations at both schools made it possible to visit the teachers in their classrooms for the presentations.”
The goal of the IMPACT Project was two-fold. First, since the senior moms conceived the idea for the project, they wanted their senior football sons to have a life-long “recorded” memory of their final high school football seasons.
Secondly, it was educational and a wonderful experience for the boys to recognize someone in their lives who made a big difference and positively impacted them throughout their school years.
Malley said, “Whether it was someone who taught them or coached them, or simply supported them emotionally at times when they needed it, it was important to let the recipients know that they made a huge difference and IMPACT for them.”
“We tell our boys to show up on the field each and every week, and we wanted them to know that it was also very important to thank those who showed up first for them!”
Once the boys made the selection of their IMPACT persons, the senior football moms created certificates for each recipient and determined the sizes of T-shirts that were needed to properly fit them.
Silkworm, Inc. then worked quickly to “rush-order” the shirts so that they could be printed and delivered in time for the presentations on Thursday and Friday November 7th and 8th. All turned out well and the IMPACT project was carried out without a hitch!
It took portions of two days to complete the deliveries of the IMPACT awards to all 13 of the recipients due to class schedules and availability of both the football seniors and their special influencers.
When the boys made their presentations it was a total surprise to the recipients. Each player presented a special certificate and a replica jersey to their special person. The certificate read, “Today, this SENIOR would like to present you with his football jersey name and number for making a positive IMPACT in his life. Each person has the potential of making a positive impact on the world. It all depends on what you do with what you have- Gary Chapman.”
Players and their special persons include the following:
Player Name Jersey Number Special Person’s Name and Position
Zain Al-Jassim #1 Brittany Mueller, CHS Teacher
Justin Hayman #2 Erin Conley, CHS Teacher
Cayden Brunkhorst #3 Rachel Marshall, CGS Teacher
Lannin Caron #4 Paula Ray, CHS Teacher
Lincon Schroeder #5 Kasi Jany, CGS Teacher
Kolton Jany #8 Pete Jany, Father
Devante Palacio #9 Jarrod Peters, R.C. Sheriff
Jack Heffernan #17 Dwight Lochhead, CHS Teacher
Brenden Malley #18 Krista Krieg, CHS Paraprofessional
Tino Rafael #34 Sara Hammel, CHS Teacher
Gene Bicket #44 Marsha Bartley, CHS Teacher
Nate Maes #55 Evelyn Hankins, CHS Teacher
Alex Williamson #66 Bryce Bainter, CHS Teacher-Coach
Each presentation was deemed a huge success that was met with hugs, tears, and much surprise and appreciation. Nikki Malley, Dr. Jim Beers and Tim Lochhead accompanied each player on his journey to make his presentation to provide guidance, support, and transportation. The entire IMPACT Project was most successful and accomplished its goals.
Nikki Malley, project coordinator said, “Perhaps this will become an annual event for senior players to come! This year’s inaugural project was made possible by many people. I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the success of the 2024 Senior Football Season IMPACT Project!”
Zain Al-Jassin with his IMPACT person, Brittany Mueller, CHS Teacher, Jim Beers Photo
Justin Hayman with his IMPACT person, Erin Conley, CHS Teacher, Jim Beers Photo
Cayden Brunkhorst with his IMPACT person, Rachel Marshall, CGS Teacher and former Cheer Coach, Jim Beers Photo
Lannin Caron with his IMPACT person, Paula Ray, CHS Teacher, Jim Beers Photo
Lincon Schroeder and his IMPACT person, Kasi Jany, CGS Teacher, Jim Beers Photo
Kolton Jany with his IMPACT person, Pete Jany, Father and Mentor, Jim Beers Photo
Devante Palacio with his IMPACT person, Jarrod Peters, Randolph Country Sheriff, Jim Beers Photo
Jack Heffernan with his IMPACT person, Dwight Lochhead, CHS Teacher, Jim Beers Photo
Brenden Malley with his IMPACT person, Krista Krieg, CHS Paraprofessional, Jim Beers Photo
Tino Rafael with his IMPACT person Sara Hammel. CHS Teacher, Jim Beers Photo
Gene Bicket with his IMPACT person, Marsha Bartley, CHS Teacher, Jim Beers Photo
Nate Maes with his IMPACT person, Evelyn Hankins, CHS Teacher, Jim Beers Photo
Alex Williamson with his IMPACT person, Bryce Bainter, CHS Teacher and Coach, Jim Beers Photo