KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Assistant Principal Sharif Ford knew who to call when an athlete at East St. Louis High School in Illinois needed new shoes. The same woman helped a high school junior outside Chicago get a new soccer kit as she chases a college scholarship. When Olympic catcher Aubree Munro needed to clear out softball gear, a nonprofit called Goods4Greatness connected her with someone in need. Rhiannon Potkey’s nonprofit works to get gear to low-income children and teens to make sure the high cost of equipment doesn’t derail their athletic dreams. The Knoxville journalist saw the inequities covering high schools where wealthy parents showered their kids with new gear while only a few miles away parents stopped work in the fields to watch their children play games while sharing old equipment.
