About Us   

We're just a couple of Simeon athletic alums, class of 1987 who remember cheering on fellow athletes such as Ben Wilson, Nick Anderson, Deon Thomas and so many others that you may not have heard of. The love for our alma mater is probably no different than others and their chosen schools. For it is the feeling of camaraderie and fellowship that never ends, no matter who's currently wearing the uniforms. 

Simeon Career Academy's (SCA) (formerly Simeon Vocational High School [SVS]) is a public high school located in Chicago, Illinois.  Despite its storied on-field track record, the athletic department was financially challenged.  As with most public schools, lack of funding for sports makes it unaffordable to consistently purchase training equipment, outfit teams or host banquets that celebrates accomplishments and build camaraderie among student-athletes.

Traditionally, interscholastic athletic departments have relied on revenue from ticket sales, fundraising, concessions, participation fees and parent booster clubs to help fund their departments.   However, the current booster club model, at the high school level is unsustainable and in a constant state of influx, as parents move on after their child graduates.  This model is doomed from the start, because parents are sometimes forced to take on fundraising tasks they are either unequipped or uninterested in performing.  Lessons learned and best practices are not established and thus not transferred onto the next group.  As a result, overall efforts are lackluster and gains are minimum.  This low functioning business model was in need of an overhaul.

SimeonNation founded as a nonprofit in 2011 was initially conceptualized as a booster club model designed to raise funds for Simeon's athletic department.  After years of raising funds that seem to only satisfy immediate and/or temporary needs, we decided to devise a more sustainable model.  Therefore in 2020, we became a 501C3 to solidify our company structure.

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Today we are organized with the Simeon athletic fan in mind. The goal is to gather like-mined individuals, in unique and intentional ways to support student-athletes within and beyond Simeon's walls.

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Let's face it, high school sports in Chicago are CRAZY EXCITING!  Simply polling the bleachers, we've learned that most people attending our games do not have kids playing at this level.  Instead, the stands are filled with former athletes, coaches, alums, community members, sports enthusiasts and the likes.  We believe this collective group would support our student-athletes if we...ASKED!

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SO, this is us asking, join us won't you?  We promise, this "giving" will be FUN!

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Your Chief in Cheering, Tambra

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