Nate Andorsky, Kevin Meehan and Andy Ritter became friends due to their common interest in sports. But this spring they also became business partners, forming a program that turned their passion into service.

That’s why they started Fair Catch, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of local athletes. Formally commenced in March, Fair Catch seeks to provide urban school districts with the much-needed football equipment they are unable to afford.

The donations are coordinated on the basis of need – schools that face the worst budget shortages will receive equipment first. Fair Catch works with Dr. Allen Chin, the director of athletics for District of Columbia Public Schools, to determine which schools fall into this category.

As of now, the trio – each of whom is in the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – has not decided which schools to target first, but Andorsky says the organization hopes to begin doling out the equipment this summer.

“Our goal is to make our first donations this August,” he said. By donating the equipment then, he hopes to provide for a better football season come fall.

The equipment will come from a variety of sources. Andorksy is currently working to find sponsors to help donate, but apart from that, he plans to use contributions from individuals to purchase more equipment for Fair Catch to distribute.

Starting a nonprofit was not the easiest task, says Andorsky, who worked with Bingham, LLC, a local law firm, to incorporate the organization.

While the process was “time-consuming,” Andorksy said, it was well worth it, too. With the help of Bingham, LLC, the trio handled the start-up work, which ranged from creating a logo and Web site to devising a strategic plan to handle the legal and financial aspects of a nonprofit organization.

For Andorsky, the high point was seeing his vision materialize. After seeing Fair Catch’s business card and logo, he knew the group was that much closer to making donations.

“It became something material, something to show how much work we put into it,” he said.

The three hope to instill the values of determination, motivation and teamwork in the students they are helping. It is something they definitely have experience in – Andorsky and Meehan were both varsity football players in high school and Ritter was a starter for his high school basketball team.

As for the future of Fair Catch, the organization is just getting off the ground. It recently held its first event at Garrett’s in Georgetown, where it kicked off its first round of fundraising.

Nevertheless, the trio is determined to make their organization thrive and they hope to help some sports teams along the way.

Learn more at http://faircatchdc.org