While seniors Joseph Booms and Dane Debbrecht both rank among the top students in the Class of 2025, and have schedules filled with not only Advanced Placement (AP) classes but also several school activities, the two have found time to establish a non-profit organization called 
sportsandscholars.org 

Joe and Dane first met in seventh grade on the St. Thecla (Mt. Clemens) basketball team. Joe was attending St. Thecla while Dane was attending Anderson Middle School (Berkley), but the two live ten houses apart in Harrison Township.

For the past two summers, Joe has voluntarily coached winter and spring sports and even run a basketball camp for a group of youngsters in the Clintondale School District. His mother, who teaches in an elementary school there, alerted him to the students’ financial situations. Dane has worked with the Breaking Barriers Group in St. Clair, a group dedicated to helping kids. 

The two realized that providing financial assistance to elementary and middle school students is “the right thing to do.” 

Both recognize that creating a non-profit brings the added burden of regularly submitting reports to the appropriate government agencies, usually on a quarterly as well as annual basis. 

Joe said, “Over time, we think we will be able to help a lot of kids.” 

Although he doesn’t have any training in setting up a website, Joe created sportsandscholars.org using the WordPress platform. He and Dane are adding links for families to apply for financial assistance, and already have set up a donation link that uses PayPal. 

They are also creating flyers with a QR code to reach their website, and contacting various recreational leagues in the area to find out about costs.

Although Joe hopes to be attending the University of Michigan in the Fall of 2025, while Dane will be playing baseball at Washington University in St. Louis, the two are committed to continuing their efforts beyond their high school graduation. 

While close friends, this year as seniors they are partnering to compete in DECA - the first time that they will both be in the same activity during their high school years.