The co-owners of a local Ohio Farmers Insurance agency have been a blessing to the entire St. Francis DeSales High School community, says Stallions Athletic Director Tom Neubert.
Sam Chapman, agency owner of the Westerville, Ohio, Farmers Insurance, and his brother Patrick Chapman, co-owner, “continually share their time, talent and treasure for the benefit of our students, athletes, and school,” Neubert said. “They are a fixture within our community and we are forever grateful for the sacrifices they have made for the betterment of our great school.”
The Chapmans are graduates of St. Francis DeSales High School, a co-educational college prep high school in Columbus, Ohio. For the past several years, they’ve been giving back to the high school through a public-private partnership facilitated by DistrictWON.
In 2021, for instance, the brothers provided the Stallions with new football uniforms for the entire team. And in 2021 and 2022, they donated fan T-shirts for high school football games. Currently, they’re also looking into possibly supporting the basketball team, as well as one of the girls’ teams.
“We’re trying to figure out what team needs something and then we’ll work with DistrictWON and with their connections to help us get the really good prices on everything,” said Sam Chapman.
“We have so many great families that have given so much and Sam and Pat are at the top of that list. I am blessed to call them both my friends,” the athletic director said. “They both are always willing to unselfishly help out with anything that we may need and are cornerstones to what makes our community so special.”
Sam Chapman said once DistrictWON set up the branch for Farmers Insurance to work with St. Francis DeSales High School, he and his brother have donated Stallion T-shirts each year for the school’s summer camps.
“Our logos are on the backs of all these kids going to the campus at school, which is really neat,” Chapman said.
The brothers and their wives also volunteer at the concession stand for Friday Night Football games, wearing their Farmers Insurance shirts and ballcaps, proving that the DistrictWON partnership they have with the high school benefits both sides.
For instance, working such events offers Chapman a chance to reach someone who wants to get a quote on their car insurance to add a student in the household who’s turning 16 or 17 and getting a driver’s license.
“You just don’t know who you’re going to meet during the games,” Chapman said. “It could be someone you sold a hot dog to on Friday night and then on Monday, that person is walking into your office asking for a quote. People recognize the value of volunteerism.”
“It’s been really powerful. It really has,” he added.
Having been a Farmers Insurance agent for nearly 35 years, Chapman’s hard work at the agency and in the community has earned him distinction as one of only 10 members named to the Farmers Hall of Fame in 2019. He’s also the only agent on the East Coast bearing that title.
“It just signifies that the company recognizes what we do to represent Farmers,” said Chapman. “It is quite an achievement for us to make. It means a lot and it’s quite an honor.”
Chapman thinks every Farmers Insurance agency should team up with their high schools’ athletic departments because the company brand can be advertised to an entire community for the duration of a sporting event. “And you just can’t buy that kind of reach through regular advertising dollars,” he said.
Rocky River, Ohio-based DistrictWON creates meaningful brand connections within local communities through marketing partnerships between businesses and high schools. For more information on how to reach high school students, parents, and administrators in a way that truly makes a difference in the community, visit https://www.districtwon.com, https://www.facebook.com/districtwon, or follow https://twitter.com/districtwon on Twitter.