To the NFL and Home Again

Photo by Len Villano.

During the decade that Casey Rabach played for the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Redskins, he and his wife Nicole volunteered with a number of nonprofit organizations, including two associated with NFL personalities – the Ed Block Courage Houses, havens for abused children established in cities with NFL teams by the longtime head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts, and Joe Gibbs’s Youth for Tomorrow, a residential home and private school for abused, neglected and at-risk children founded in 1986 by the legendary coach of the Redskins.

“Nicole and I have always been involved with children and youth,” Casey says. “There was always a need and, though we were eager to help out wherever we were, we knew that eventually we wanted to do something for the community where we grew up that has been so supportive of us.”

Casey and Nicole were high school sweethearts in Sturgeon Bay. They graduated in 1996 and went to the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where Nicole majored in business and interior design and Casey in communications and business and played center for the Badgers on two Rose Bowl championship teams and was a three-time all-conference player and a two-time all-American.

Photo by Len Villano.

He was drafted by the Ravens in 2001, and he and Nicole were married the following year. After four years in Baltimore, Casey moved on to the Washington Redskins, where he started in 79 of 80 regular-season games and three post-season games before retiring in 2011.

As they’d always planned, they moved back to Door County and on January 1, 2013 established the Fifth Quarter Foundation, Inc., with the goal of supporting youth education, recreation and women’s health in the community they’d always considered home. It was something they’d been thinking about for some time, but Casey says, “It just didn’t seem right not doing it in Door County.” After all those Sundays devoted to four quarters, the couple was now ready to spend their “fifth quarter” helping others.

In its first year, the foundation co-sponsored two tremendously successful activities with Door County Charities – a golf tournament on June 17 at Horseshoe Bay Golf Club that drew NFL alumni from several states and a fishing tournament on July 19 that featured two NFL alumni in each boat. A pre-tournament dinner at The Lodge at Leathem Smith, open to the public, proved to be tremendously popular.

The Rabachs’ interest in sports goes far beyond Casey’s own outstanding career. He is a cousin of Chris and Nick Greisen of Sturgeon Bay, both former NFL players, and the son of Gary Rabach, the longtime football coach and athletic director at Sturgeon Bay High School. Gary was a strong believer that youth sports should not be all about winning, but teaching skills for the next level, helping kids maintain the joy of playing and developing character traits that would serve them well throughout life. It’s a belief Casey shares and hopes to spread through training programs for coaches of youth teams.

As passionate as the Rabachs are about sports, proceeds from the 2013 events were designated for the other two areas of need on which their foundation focuses. Donations went to Ministry Door County Medical Foundation for women’s health and to Sturgeon Bay schools to help upgrade technology. “We want to reach out to all the Door County schools in the future,” Casey says. “We know they all have wish lists, but we can’t hit every goal every year.”

Fundraising activities planned for 2014 include a golf tournament at Horseshoe Bay Golf Club on June 16, and a fishing tournament on July 18-19 at Stone Harbor, both again involving NFL alumni.

“We never have to twist arms,” Casey says. “The NFL is like a family. We spend so much time together, and all the players are happy to be part of anything that benefits kids – especially if it involves a trip to Door County.”

Casey gives Nicole a lot of the credit for promoting the 2013 events. “The dinner associated with the fishing tournament was so successful that we’re moving to Stone Harbor, that has larger dining facilities,” he says. Both activities will again be co-sponsored by Door County Charities.

A new activity in October 2014 will be a breast cancer awareness project in conjunction with Ministry Door County Medical Center.

The couple’s ultimate dream for the Fifth Quarter Foundation? An indoor youth sports complex for Door County. “This won’t happen overnight,” Casey says, “but it’s something we’re really excited about that would benefit every youth sports program.”