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Will County District 92 will host a Wheelchair Basketball Fundraising Game in Partnership with LWSRA on Thursday, April 23 at Oak Prairie Junior High School

If the topic is the work of the Lincolnway Special Recreation Association (LWSRA) and how D92 schools get involved with the organization, chances are that Oak Prairie Junior High PE Teacher Chris Coopman is excited to talk. As the district looks ahead to an April 2026 fundraising event and PE Takeovers at all four schools to promote awareness of sports and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities, Coopman (Coop to anyone who has known him for more than five seconds) shared a bit about his connection to this organization and what to expect when D92 staff suit up to take on the LWSRA Hawks in Wheelchair Basketball. 

Discovering a Place of Belonging

For Coop, the connection to LWSRA is personal. When his wife Katie was expecting their twin boys, she ended up in the hospital at about 26 weeks. Chance and Hunter were born a few weeks later, three hours apart, weighing in at around three pounds each. The oldest boy Chance has Autism and as he got older, Katie and Coop wanted to find ways for him to get involved in different activities. 

After exploring a few area park districts, they discovered area Special Recreation Associations including Northern Will County Special Recreation Association and LWSRA. They booked Chance into a day camp at LWSRA to try it out. Quickly, one week turned into a whole summer. 

“We immediately fell in love with LWSRA,” said Coop. “Chance came home from the first day saying ‘day camp tomorrow, day camp tomorrow’ and we knew it was the place for us and the place for him.”

When the organization learned that he was a PE teacher, they told him about PE Takeovers, which is another offering that allows students the opportunity to actively try playing adapted sports such as wheelchair basketball, sit volleyball and goalball, a game played blindfolded with a special ball with bells in it. Back in 2023, the initial plan was to do a takeover at Oak Prairie, but thanks to Coop and district leadership, it was expanded to all four schools.

That same year, the district also hosted a Wheelchair Basketball Fundraiser to support the LWSRA and cover the costs of the programming. The game saw incredible young athletes from the LWSRA take on a team consisting of D92 staff in four quarters of Wheelchair basketball. We will be nice here and say that the staff team gave a valiant effort, but they did not come away with the win. 

Bringing it Back and Increasing the Impact

When the 2025-26 school year started, Coop approached Principal Sue Forcash about potentially bringing back the partnership and events with LWSRA, and she gave the go ahead beginning in December 2025 to plan the event. 

“We are so excited to bring this event back because it was such a success three years ago raising $4,700 for LWSRA,” said Forcash. “Chris has so much passion for this and being able to bring this experience to all of the students of D92 is such a wonderful and positive thing.”

This year, there will be five PE Takeovers with two taking place at Oak Prairie. Students will get to play Wheelchair Basketball and learn some drills and skills to get the hang of moving a chair and handling a basketball. They also play Sit Volleyball which is a game of volleyball with a lower net and everyone seated on the floor. You can move in all directions with your arms but there is no standing up. Goal Ball is also incredibly popular with students as they are blindfolded and only hear the ball coming towards them and have to use their sense of hearing to help. They also get to interact with athletes and organizers from LWSRA to learn more about what life is like for children and adults with disabilities and get their questions answered. 

“These takeovers educate our kids to be aware of how students with disabilities play sports and take part in activities as well as adjustments they have to make to navigate the world,” said Coop. “Ultimately at the end of all of this, I want people to be educated and see that anybody can be a part of this program and that people can do amazing things with the right resources.”

PE Takeovers will take place at all D92 schools during the month of April:

• Walsh Elementary School - Tuesday, April 14
• Reed Elementary School - Thursday, April 16
• Ludwig Elementary School - Monday, April 20
• Oak Prairie Junior High School - Tuesday, April 21 & Thursday, April 23

What to Expect on April 23, 2026

Everyone is invited to attend the basketball game on Thursday, April 23 from 6-8:30 p.m. Admission is free, but donations for the LWSRA will be taken at the door via cash or by scanning a QR Code for online giving. Having cash on hand is also encouraged to take part in the 50/50 raffle, purchase concessions and participate in the different fundraising activities including:

• Hula Hoop Contest - Free to enter to see who can hoop the longest. 
• Tennis Ball Throw - Participants can purchase balls (one for $5, three for $10, and five for $20) and toss them in hopes of landing in a kiddie pool on the court to win prizes. 
• Half Court Shot - For just $5 you can shoot your shot from half court for the chance to get $10 back. 
• Heads or Tails Game - Participants just need $1 for a wristband to play and they get to guess if heads or tails will be flipped by moving around to state their prediction. 

There’s even an opportunity to buy points towards the end of the game for your favorite team for $1 per point. If things go the way they did in 2023, the D92 staff team will need all the help they can get. More than a friendly competition, the game is all about building a sense of community, learning from one another, trying new things and supports the LWSRA mission of helping those with physical and developmental disabilities.

“This is such important work and I feel blessed to have such passionate colleagues willing to work so hard to promote this great cause,” said D92 Superintendent Kirsten Frankovich. “These events bring a powerful message of inclusion to our students and community and it’s a wonderful way to come together!”

Coop says that after he worked relentlessly in 2023 to spread the word to the media and the community about the event, he heard because of that coverage at least one student with a disability learned about what organizations like LWSRA do and got involved. 

“I want to create awareness in the community not only for my son but for anyone with a disability that is looking for a place to have fun,” said Coop. “I am so fired up about this, I will do whatever it takes to get the word out!”

Don’t Miss the Wheelchair Basketball Fundraiser Game on Thursday, April 23

View the official flyer

Will County School District 92 Staff vs. LWSRA Hawks

• 6-8:30 p.m.
• Oak Prairie Junior High School Gymnasium - 15161 South Gougar Road, Homer Glen, IL 60491
• Donations will be accepted at the door
• Bring cash to participate in the events 

Can’t make it to the game but want to support this fundraiser? Make a donation online.
 

Check out Videos from 2023 PE Takeovers at Ludwig Elementary School and Oak Prairie Junior High School as well as the 2023 Fundraising Game put together by D92 Paraprofessional Nadine Martinez.