Schultz Foundation donates to both high schools, Elizabethtown DYB

The Jim and Sue Schultz Foundation donated $5,870 to the East Bladen and West Bladen High School athletic departments Tuesday night. Pictured, from left, West Bladen principal Chris Orrock, Bladen County Schools Superintendent Jason Atkinson, assistant superintendent Ann Brown, Beth Schultz, West Bladen boys’ basketball coach Travis Pait, Joey Schultz, Jimmy Schultz, Kim Schultz, East Bladen principal Chris Carroll and East Bladen athletic director Patty Evers.
Kenneth Armstrong / kenarmphoto.com

ELIZABETHTOWN – Any time there was a youth sports event in Bladen County it was likely Jim and Sue Schultz were there.

Whether it was at East Bladen High School, West Bladen High School, Elizabethtown Dixie Youth Baseball games or Bladen County Recreation Department contests, the couple could be found supporting the teams and players.

The Elizabethtown couple died May 24, 2022 in a vehicle accident near Bristol, Virginia, two days after their 57th wedding anniversary. However, their support for Bladen County sports continues.

Tuesday, the Jim and Sue Schultz Foundation made separate contributions of $5,870 to the athletic departments of East Bladen High School and West Bladen High School and Elizabethtown Dixie Youth Baseball.

“My mom and dad loved sports,” said Jimmy Schultz, who, along with brothers Joey and John, created the foundation to honor their parents. “They loved to go to any sports event for us or any child. They gave a lot of time and they were very heavily involved in Dixie Youth and also high school sports.

“We just wanted to give back and do what they would see fit for us to do,” Jimmy Schultz said.

The foundation has raised more than $50,000 in three years that has been donated evenly between the schools and Elizabethtown DYB. The Schultz’s children and grandchildren played at both high schools and in youth leagues. Jim coached at various levels, including in the Elizabethtown DYB program.

Funds for the Jim and Sue Schultz Foundation are raised during the annual “Whack Smack It” Memorial Golf Tournament at Vineyard Golf at White Lake and a benefit dinner. The fourth annual Prime Rib dinner is set for Thursday, June 11 with the golf tournament to be played the next day.

Mark Gillespie played in the Elizabethtown DYB program in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Jim Schultz was coaching and Sue was leading the cheers. He later coached and now is the league president.

“The donation means a lot because I grew up with them,” Gillespie said. “From when I was 8 and 9 years old, I’ve been around them all my life. It was a lot of fun having them in the stands and Mr. Schultz coaching. Mrs. Schultz was just a bundle of joy in the stands.”

The donation “contributes a lot to us because with expenses going up, we can’t keep going up on registration, we can’t keep raising our sponsorships on our teams, so this money offsets all that,” Gillespie said.

Likewise, for the high schools, the donation helps growing expenses in athletic departments.

“It means a great deal to our athletic department,” West Bladen principal Chris Orrock said. “It goes to benefit our students and directly impacts the services that we can provide from the school to provide them support on an everyday foundation for our athletics.

“It is certainly helpful in getting the things that our players need to be successful on and off the court (or field) and to provide that support so they are successful. We are very grateful for the contribution from the Schultz Family Foundation,” Orrock said.

East Bladen athletic director Patty Evers also was appreciative of the Schultz Foundation donation.

“With all the prices going up, it helps us keep our head above water,” Evers said. “And the Schultz’s meant so much to us. You just see them everywhere, every school, all the games, all the time. They were just special people and it’s very gracious that the family continues to support the schools and the student athletes.”