Police: Burglars steal $12,000 in equipment from south suburban youth football team

ROBBINS, Ill. (WGN) — Police in south suburban Robbins are searching for burglars who left the CalPark Eagles 6U and 7U football teams without any football equipment ahead of the start of their season.

“When I received that call that our box was broken into, I got depressed,” said Glenn Hampton, President of the Robbins CalPark Eagles organization.

According to the Robbins Police Department (RPD), they received a call Sunday that burglars had broken into the CalPark Eagles’ storage shed. When officers arrived, they found a shed that was completely empty.

“It’s in a remote location and that made it easier to burglarize the shed,” said Terry White, RPD’s police chief. “But none the less, we are investigating it. We have a team in place and we will bring those offenders to justice.”

Now, the Eagles are facing a $12,000 loss of equipment with the start of their season just weeks away, but the community is stepping up to try and help.

Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant announced relief is coming to the team through other means. Bryant helped announce Robbins Eagles Football Stadium at a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday. He said the new field will be a major boon for the youth football program, which has recently practiced in less-than-ideal conditions.

“Sometimes, when the playoffs come, we have to have the car lights out. We have to be practicing on concrete,” a CalPark parent said. “Through it all, we overcame a lot of things.”

The CalPark Eagles are known as one of the largest youth football programs in the Chicago area. It serves kids between the ages of six and 13, and has produced tremendous results on the gridiron.

Earlier this year, their 12U team went undefeated in the 5-Star Spring League, and their program is looking to reap similar accomplishments this fall. Their first game is Aug. 23.

Hampton expressed optimism based on the donations that have already come in, but the team is still short of their $12,000 goal.

Those interested in helping the CalPark Eagles purchase back new equipment can do so by visiting the team’s GoFundMe Page.