The days of a subpar weight room with worn out equipment are over at North High School.
What was for a long time a space with mismatched dumbbells and old bars and plates, is now a safe and clean jewel with new “top of the line” equipment in one of the oldest buildings in the Akron Public Schools district.
“This is for all of the student-athletes at Akron North High School,” Vikings football coach Sonil Haslam said last week. “We want this to be something that the kids can be proud of. We want this to uplift the kids and give them something to say ‘you know what, this is a space that somebody helped put together for us and they believe in us.’ Things like this will help us get over the edge.”
High school sports have returned for the 2018-2019 school year and football games start this week.
Haslam smiled as he reflected on how the help of others has provided hope for a Vikings football team that has been winless in each of the past three seasons.
Mark Murphy, 26, is one of the people who has taken a liking to North, and with his nonprofit organization, FullyEquipped, has been able to help.
Murphy, 26, is a full-time software developer at MorelandConnect in Hudson. With FullyEquipped, his mission is to “partner with underfunded local schools to better equip young men and women for success in the classroom, extracurricular activities and life.”
Murphy, a football player and graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary (2011) and Indiana University (2015), said at least $12,000 has been donated to North’s 2,700 square-foot weight room.
“We have received funding from a lot of people who want to help kids succeed,” Murphy said.
Murphy received guidance from his parents, Mark and Pam; his siblings, Kellyn, Katie and Kara and their spouses; friends and former coaches. The elder Mark played in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.
“My mom is an intervention specialist with the Akron Public Schools,” Murphy said. “She does that part-time, and she was going to a middle school a few years ago with one of her kids and they didn’t have any balls or jump ropes for recess. We were like ‘Ah, that stinks.’ So we worked with a group that we started at St. Vincent-St. Mary called Irish Athletes for Christ. We were able to help get some balls and jump ropes.”
Haslam said FullyEquipped is also helping provide shoes and meals to North, East and Kenmore-Garfield athletes through the Children’s Hunger Alliance, and has donated athletic equipment to Buchtel.
“This is Mark’s brainchild,” said Haslam, a graduate of East (1994) and the University of Akron (2003). “He wants to help kids. Social media is helping spread the word with Twitter and Facebook. … Mark is trying to build this and tell a story about how he wants to help level the playing field between parochial or suburban community schools versus our inner-city programs. Mark does not have a stake in the school. He doesn’t have a kid at the school and he didn’t graduate from the school, but he and his family are at the games, they’re feeding kids and they are doing things to help.
“We have also received donations from Hall of Fame Sports Complex [in Canton] and from Firestone High School, which is putting together a new weight room. We got plates and dumbbells from Firestone Athletic Director Bran Fuller, and with FullyEquipped we have new Rogue weights, adequate flooring and turf inside the weight room. We are greatly appreciative of everyone’s efforts.”
Among the weight room features are 30 to 35 yards of turf to walk and run on, mats, eight benches, seven squat racks and several Cybex workout machines.
Help from mentors
Murphy said his high school football coach, Dan Boarman, has been a mentor along with Jim Conlon, a lawyer who helped establish FullyEquipped as a nonprofit organization.
“I have been blessed to be in places where we always had nice equipment and we had the things that we needed to participate,” said Boarman, a St. V graduate who formerly coached at Copley and St. V-M. “We saw a need here and thought ‘Hey, this is a great opportunity for us to give back and to change something that will hopefully change kids’ lives, not just now and not just the football team, but for kids all through the school and for years to come.’ … We were lucky to have this kind of square footage.”
Conlon said he loves what Murphy is doing with FullyEquipped.
“Dan coached and taught for 42 years. I went to a high school [St. Ignatius] in Cleveland and their mantra was you have to be a man for others, and that is what this is all about,” Conlon said. “We looked for programs and schools that didn’t have all of the tools, but had all the energy like principal Kim Sabetta here. We are trying to help level the playing field.”
Haslam said that the weight room can be used by North athletes, staff and physical education students.
“With Dr. [Joseph] Congeni and the Murphy family, they don’t want the press,” Haslam said. “They just want to pay it forward. It is so much bigger than just North High School. It is people wanting to get kids in a better position and letting them know that somebody believes in them.”
Congeni, the Director of Sports Medicine at Akron Children’s Hospital, is also the Archbishop Hoban football team physician.
Haslam said North athletes have helped with the improvements in the weight room, and guest speakers such as Congeni, Boarman, St. V-M Athletic Director Willie McGee and boys basketball coach Dru Joyce II and Akron police officers have come to speak.
“This is really impressive,” APS Athletic Director Joe Vassalotti said. “Up to this point, North really didn’t have a weight room to take pride in. It was very small and equipment was old. To have the folks from St. Vincent-St. Mary, Dr. Congeni with his Hoban ties and Firestone donating their old equipment to help has been awesome. I also give a lot of credit to coach Haslam and Mrs. [Carrie] Stewart, the North athletic director, for getting the coaches and players here to help move a lot of the equipment and set it up.”
Sabetta expressed her appreciation to FullyEquipped.
“Seeing our students’ faces and what this space truly means to them is amazing,” she said.
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the #ABJVarsity high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps.
Last Updated: January 17, 2019 by FullyEquipped
How to Support FullyEquipped for Free When You Shop on Amazon
You can support FullyEquipped for free when you shop on Amazon with AmazonSmile!
AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.
Here’s how you can support FullyEquipped on AmazonSmile:
Step 1: In your internet browser go to smile.amazon.com and sign in using your Amazon credentials.
Step 2: After signing in, you will be directed to the page below. Under the heading “Or pick your own charitable organization” enter “FullyEquipped” and click “Search”.
Step 3: From the list of charity options, select the first option “FullyEquipped”.
Step 4: You will be redirected to the page below. Check the box next to “Yes” and then click “Start Shopping”.
That’s it! You are now signed up for Amazon Smile! Just make sure to visit smile.amazon.com when you go to make a purchase on Amazon and a percentage of your eligible purchases will be automatically donated to FullyEquipped by the AmazonSmile Foundation.
Alternatively, you can give a tax-deductible donation on the FullyEquipped website at FullyEquiped.co/Donate. 100% of all the donations we receive go to helping those in need!
Thank you for helping us partner with underfunded local schools to better equip young men and women for success in the classroom, extracurricular activities, and life.
Last Updated: August 30, 2018 by FullyEquipped
The Football Cleats Have Arrived, Again!
Last Thursday, we stopped by a few Akron Public Schools with a special delivery. Thanks to your generosity and support, we were able to provide football cleats to not only North High School this year but also Kenmore-Garfield and East High School! Over 100+ pairs of much-needed football cleats were provided! The kids were beyond excited and extremely grateful!
We cannot thank you enough for making what we do possible. Know that your donations go a long way and your contributions do not go unnoticed!
Want to get involved with FullyEquipped? 100% of all the donations we receive go to helping those in need! We are still collecting school supplies for our 2018 Back-to-School Fundraiser. You can help out by spreading the word, physical donations or monetary donations at FullyEquipped.co/Donate.
Looking forward to a great school year!
God Bless,
The FullyEquipped Team
Posted: August 29, 2018 by FullyEquipped
High school sports: North opens renovated weight room with assist from nonprofit organization FullyEquipped
Thank you, Michael Beaven and the Akron Beacon Journal for the kind words. The FullyEquipped Team is looking forward to doing even more in the Akron Public School Community in the future!
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By Michael Beaven
Beacon Journal/Ohio.com
The days of a subpar weight room with worn out equipment are over at North High School.
What was for a long time a space with mismatched dumbbells and old bars and plates, is now a safe and clean jewel with new “top of the line” equipment in one of the oldest buildings in the Akron Public Schools district.
“This is for all of the student-athletes at Akron North High School,” Vikings football coach Sonil Haslam said last week. “We want this to be something that the kids can be proud of. We want this to uplift the kids and give them something to say ‘you know what, this is a space that somebody helped put together for us and they believe in us.’ Things like this will help us get over the edge.”
High school sports have returned for the 2018-2019 school year and football games start this week.
Haslam smiled as he reflected on how the help of others has provided hope for a Vikings football team that has been winless in each of the past three seasons.
Mark Murphy, 26, is one of the people who has taken a liking to North, and with his nonprofit organization, FullyEquipped, has been able to help.
Murphy, 26, is a full-time software developer at MorelandConnect in Hudson. With FullyEquipped, his mission is to “partner with underfunded local schools to better equip young men and women for success in the classroom, extracurricular activities and life.”
Murphy, a football player and graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary (2011) and Indiana University (2015), said at least $12,000 has been donated to North’s 2,700 square-foot weight room.
“We have received funding from a lot of people who want to help kids succeed,” Murphy said.
Murphy received guidance from his parents, Mark and Pam; his siblings, Kellyn, Katie and Kara and their spouses; friends and former coaches. The elder Mark played in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.
“My mom is an intervention specialist with the Akron Public Schools,” Murphy said. “She does that part-time, and she was going to a middle school a few years ago with one of her kids and they didn’t have any balls or jump ropes for recess. We were like ‘Ah, that stinks.’ So we worked with a group that we started at St. Vincent-St. Mary called Irish Athletes for Christ. We were able to help get some balls and jump ropes.”
Haslam said FullyEquipped is also helping provide shoes and meals to North, East and Kenmore-Garfield athletes through the Children’s Hunger Alliance, and has donated athletic equipment to Buchtel.
“This is Mark’s brainchild,” said Haslam, a graduate of East (1994) and the University of Akron (2003). “He wants to help kids. Social media is helping spread the word with Twitter and Facebook. … Mark is trying to build this and tell a story about how he wants to help level the playing field between parochial or suburban community schools versus our inner-city programs. Mark does not have a stake in the school. He doesn’t have a kid at the school and he didn’t graduate from the school, but he and his family are at the games, they’re feeding kids and they are doing things to help.
“We have also received donations from Hall of Fame Sports Complex [in Canton] and from Firestone High School, which is putting together a new weight room. We got plates and dumbbells from Firestone Athletic Director Bran Fuller, and with FullyEquipped we have new Rogue weights, adequate flooring and turf inside the weight room. We are greatly appreciative of everyone’s efforts.”
Among the weight room features are 30 to 35 yards of turf to walk and run on, mats, eight benches, seven squat racks and several Cybex workout machines.
Help from mentors
Murphy said his high school football coach, Dan Boarman, has been a mentor along with Jim Conlon, a lawyer who helped establish FullyEquipped as a nonprofit organization.
“I have been blessed to be in places where we always had nice equipment and we had the things that we needed to participate,” said Boarman, a St. V graduate who formerly coached at Copley and St. V-M. “We saw a need here and thought ‘Hey, this is a great opportunity for us to give back and to change something that will hopefully change kids’ lives, not just now and not just the football team, but for kids all through the school and for years to come.’ … We were lucky to have this kind of square footage.”
Conlon said he loves what Murphy is doing with FullyEquipped.
“Dan coached and taught for 42 years. I went to a high school [St. Ignatius] in Cleveland and their mantra was you have to be a man for others, and that is what this is all about,” Conlon said. “We looked for programs and schools that didn’t have all of the tools, but had all the energy like principal Kim Sabetta here. We are trying to help level the playing field.”
Haslam said that the weight room can be used by North athletes, staff and physical education students.
“With Dr. [Joseph] Congeni and the Murphy family, they don’t want the press,” Haslam said. “They just want to pay it forward. It is so much bigger than just North High School. It is people wanting to get kids in a better position and letting them know that somebody believes in them.”
Congeni, the Director of Sports Medicine at Akron Children’s Hospital, is also the Archbishop Hoban football team physician.
Haslam said North athletes have helped with the improvements in the weight room, and guest speakers such as Congeni, Boarman, St. V-M Athletic Director Willie McGee and boys basketball coach Dru Joyce II and Akron police officers have come to speak.
“This is really impressive,” APS Athletic Director Joe Vassalotti said. “Up to this point, North really didn’t have a weight room to take pride in. It was very small and equipment was old. To have the folks from St. Vincent-St. Mary, Dr. Congeni with his Hoban ties and Firestone donating their old equipment to help has been awesome. I also give a lot of credit to coach Haslam and Mrs. [Carrie] Stewart, the North athletic director, for getting the coaches and players here to help move a lot of the equipment and set it up.”
Sabetta expressed her appreciation to FullyEquipped.
“Seeing our students’ faces and what this space truly means to them is amazing,” she said.
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the #ABJVarsity high school blog at http://www.ohio.com/preps.
Source: https://www.ohio.com/akron/sports/high-school/high-school-sports-north-opens-renovated-weight-room-with-assist-from-non-profit-organization-fullyequipped
Posted: August 17, 2018 by FullyEquipped
Akron nonprofit FullyEquipped to unveil North High’s renovated weight room on Wednesday
Thank you, Jennifer Conn and Cleveland.com for the great write-up. We are beyond excited to be able to provide a renovated space for the kids at North High School!
By Jennifer Conn, Akron reporter, cleveland.com, jconn@cleveland.com
AKRON, Ohio – Athletic students starting the school year at North High School this month are in for a surprise.
FullyEquipped, an Akron nonprofit, has renovated and expanded the school’s weight room, and equipped it with new training equipment and gear. An unveiling of the weight room is scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. during North High’s open house.
The weight room, FullyEquipped’s first big local project, is important because fitness plays a large role in how kids interact in their communities and develop as individuals, said FullyEquipped Director Mark Murphy.
With the help of North High teachers, coaches and students, the FullyEquipped team worked to clean, paint and expand the weight room into what was once an adjoining wrestling area.
Designed for use by all students interested in fitness, the weight room is now equipped with rubber and turf flooring for various exercises. It is outfitted with a rig-and-rack system with six squat and bench stations. Sets of free weights and seven fitness machines targeting different muscle groups were donated by the Canton-based gym, Hall of Fame Fitness Center. For inspiration, the room is now freshly emblazoned with North High’s colors — black and gold.
FullyEquipped supplies athletic equipment, and worked this past spring at North High with Children’s Hunger Alliance of Cleveland to feed kids who stay for after-school activities. The nonprofits worked together to provide 1,500 meals for students while Akron’s Good Samaritan Hunger Center provided snack bags, granola bars and Gatorade.
The group, which tries to help the schools wherever needed, also distributes personal-care supplies, including towels, shampoo and deodorant. Basic school supplies, such as book bags and pens and pencils, are also available to kids who need them, Murphy said
“We’re like a Swiss army knife,” Murphy said.
For some Akron students, the supplies from FullyEquipped were essential.
“When we donated book bags to North it was the first time some of them had ever had a book bag to start school,” Murphy wrote in an email. “Some of the teams we support also have to pass down cleats as kids graduate so that the next class will have cleats to use.”
FullyEquipped was formed just over a year ago after Murphy’s mother, Pamela Murphy, noticed some of the schools didn’t have much gear for the kids to use at recess. Pamela Murphy is an intervention specialist at Akron Public Schools, and makes the rounds to different middle schools.
The nonprofit is a bit of a family affair.
Murphy’s sister, Kara Gooden, a teacher’s aide at Hyre Community Learning Center in Ellet, assists with the work of FullyEquipped.
His father, Mark Murphy, has spoken to North High kids as part of a lecture series the nonprofit hosts to expose kids to community leaders. Mark Murphy is a St. Vincent-St. Mary School football coach and an assistant dean of students. He once played professionally for the Green Bay Packers.
With North’s weight room complete, FullyEquipped is working to support athletics at Garfield-East High School, supplying snacks, Gatorade, mouth guards, laundry detergent, cleats and other items. At the same time, it is helping integrate the Children’s Hunger Alliance food program into the high school.
FullyEquipped also is working with staff at St. Mary Elementary School in Akron to supply lightly used computers and library books for students.
The group accepts donations of school supplies, self-care products, library books and more. To donate or learn more, visit FulyEquipped’s website.
Source: https://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2018/08/akron_nonprofit_fullyequipped.html#incart_river_index
Last Updated: July 24, 2018 by FullyEquipped
2018 Back-to-School Fundraiser
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A new school year is FAST approaching and we at FullyEquipped have compiled a list of needs that would make a BIG difference for our students in the Akron Public School community. Our goal is to have no need left unmet in Akron Public Schools.
That’s where you come in. We want to challenge you to share this post with 3 friends and to donate as little as $20. Even just a $20 donation means school supplies for the entire year for a student, much needed personal hygiene products or even a pair of football cleats. With your support our students won’t have to worry about basic items like school supplies, snacks, and equipment.
Help us equip our students for success in the classroom, extracurricular activities and life by donating at FullyEquipped.co/Donate, Facebook.com/FullyEquipped.co or GoFundMe.com/FullyEquipped. 100% of all the donations we receive go to helping those in need!
For physical donations, please contact us at 330.323.4805 or Contact@FullyEquipped.co to arrange a pickup or drop-off location.
God Bless,
The FullyEquipped Team
For our 2018 Back-to-School Fundraiser we are aiming to fulfill the following needs:
School Supplies
Classroom Needs
Self-Care Products
Food
Sports Equipment
Football
Track & Field
Basketball
Posted: May 31, 2018 by FullyEquipped
Kenmore-Garfield: Head Coach Dan Boarman
To kickoff our meeting yesterday evening, our own Kara Gooden put the football team through a grueling workout in the 90 degree heat. While they recovered and ate the snacks graciously provided by the FullyEquipped community, former high school football head coach Dan Boarman spoke to the young men of the Kenmore-Garfield football team.
With more than 40 years of football coaching experience, including stints at Massillon, Copley and St. Vincent-St. Mary, Coach Boarman has literally seen it all. More importantly, he has seen what it takes to be successful on the playing field, in the classroom and in life.
Coach Boarman preached a very important message to the kids that we champion at FullyEquipped, “There are two things you control in life: your attitude and your effort.” He reiterated how important it is for you to be responsible for working hard and having a great attitude in all that you do including the classroom.
Coach Boarman went on to give his three tips for guaranteed success in the classroom:
Lastly, Coach wanted the team to remember that the important values and lessons that they will learn on the football field, in the classroom, from their coaches and from their teachers, will ultimately prepare them for life. Make sure to learn them well!
Thank you, Coach Boarman, for taking the time out of your schedule to share your wisdom!
Want to help out? Check out our current projects and see what we are up to in the community! Another way you can help out is by donating at FullyEquipped.co/Donate. 100% of all the donations we receive go to helping those in need!
God Bless,
The FullyEquipped Team
Last Updated: May 24, 2018 by FullyEquipped
Thank You, Hall of Fame Fitness Center
FullyEquipped wants to send a huge thank you to Bob Thomas, Mike Fisher and the Hall of Fame Fitness Center for their generous donation of weight equipment supporting the renovation of North High School’s weight room!
We also want to thank the athletes from North and our volunteers from the community who donated their time and sweat to help us transition the equipment over to North High School. We couldn’t do what we do without you guys!
Want to get involved? The easiest way to help out is by sharing this post or donating at FullyEquipped.co/Donate. 100% of all the donations we receive go to helping those in need! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
God Bless,
The FullyEquipped Team
Last Updated: May 18, 2018 by FullyEquipped
Akron North: Weight Room Renovation
FullyEquipped has committed to re-equipping and refurbishing the Akron North High School “weight room”. Our goal is to have the renovation completed by August 10th.
The new facility will be available to all of the students, faculty, staff and athletic teams at North High School. We estimate that it will require $20,000 to complete this project.
Goal 1: $6,700
Goal 2: $6,465
Goal 3: $6,650
Estimated Total Goal: $19,815*
*These line items are rough estimates and should be treated as such. Our goal is provide the most high quality and longest lasting equipment we can find at an affordable price point. We want this weight room renovation to stand the test of time.
For a project this size, we would normally hold a fundraising event to generate the required capital. Unfortunately, with our current ongoing projects, we don’t have enough capacity to organize an event in the allotted time.
All we can do is ask for your help and promise to have a fun event when we cut the ribbon on this new facility!
You can help out by sharing this post or donating at FullyEquipped.co/Donate. 100% of all the donations we receive go to helping those in need! If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
God Bless,
The FullyEquipped Team
Posted: April 28, 2018 by FullyEquipped
Akron North: Dr. Joe Congeni
This week we were extremely grateful to have Dr. Joe Congeni speak to the young men and women at Akron North High School.
A proud Father of 6 kids, Dr. Congeni ended up combining his love for sports and helping people, into a career in sports medicine. Dr. Congeni grew up in the North Hill area living by Patterson Park, graduated from Northeast Ohio Medical and has been practicing sports medicine for over 20 years.
He always talked to own kids growing up about the “Big Lie” of believing that money, promiscuity, drugs, alcohol or material things will ultimately make you happy. They will not. Dr. Congeni shared his experience that life is about trusting in God, loving others, and giving back to the community. A lesson that was further solidified for himself after experiencing a heart problem two years ago.
Nowadays, Dr. Congeni finds himself visiting nursing homes, homeless shelters and living the message he preaches. He is very active at Akron Children’s Hospital from the newborn intensive care unit, to cancer patients, to kids in sports medicine. While he has friends that are making a difference in Haiti and Kenya, Dr. Congeni stresses that there are great needs present right here in our own community in Northeast Ohio.
In the words of Dr. Congeni, don’t look for happiness in money, promiscuity, drugs, alcohol or material things, but seek to trust in God, love others, and give back to the community. Thank you again, Dr. Congeni, for taking the time out of your schedule to share your story!
With summer just around the corner, FullyEquipped is looking to fulfill several needs for our friends at Akron East and Kenmore Garfield. Help out by sharing this post, physical donations or donating at FullyEquipped.co/Donate. 100% of all the donations we receive go to helping those in need! For physical donations, please contact our Community Outreach Coordinator, Pam Murphy, at 330.323.4805 and we will arrange a pickup or dropoff location. If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact us!
God Bless,
The FullyEquipped Team
Last Updated: April 26, 2018 by FullyEquipped
Akron East & Kenmore Garfield Needs
FullyEquipped’s mission is to partner with underfunded local schools to better equip young men and women for success in the classroom, extracurricular activities, and life. We would love your support and help fulfilling a few simple needs for our friends at Akron East and Kenmore Garfield High School.
With summer workouts and practices just around the corner, we are looking to fulfill several needs for the Akron East and Kenmore Garfield Football Teams.
100% of all the donations we receive go to helping those in need! Help out by sharing this post, physical donations or monetary donations at FullyEquipped.co/Donate. For physical donations, please contact our Community Outreach Coordinator, Pam Murphy, at 330.323.4805 and we will arrange a pickup or dropoff location. If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate contact us.
God Bless,
The FullyEquipped Team
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