Fenwick High School senior football kicker and punter Noah Sur is having a highly successful season — on and off the gridiron. Every extra point, field goal, and punt Sur makes not only helps the Friars during games, but it also helps raise money for Every Kick Counts. The EKC program is part of the Count The Kicks campaign, which is sponsored by Healthy Birth Day, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping pregnant mothers ensure the health of their newborn babies by reducing stillbirths.
“In the early 2000s, five Iowa moms endured the heartache of losing a daughter to stillbirth or infant death,” said Kate Safris, a Healthy Birth Day board member. “During many conversations over coffee, the women decided to channel their grief into stillbirth prevention efforts to keep other families from facing the pain of losing a baby.”
Sur, who has been on Fenwick’s varsity the past three seasons, became involved with EKC last year after seeing a post about it on X (Twitter).
“A kicker was posting his campaign for EKC and wanted to raise money,” Sur told Wednesday Journal. “I looked a little deeper and found it very interesting; I wanted to start my own campaign. So I reached out to the EKC account, got the information necessary to make my own campaign, right before the start of my junior season. Ever since, I’ve been posting on social media to help raise money for my campaign and have been incredibly successful.”
As of this week, Sur has a total amount of $6,855, including $2,813 this year.
“I feel very honored to play a role in the awareness for mothers during pregnancy,” Sur said. “It feels great to be able to contribute in a specialized way for only kickers. I love helping mothers ensure their baby’s safety. I am incredibly thankful to be able to raise money and I am grateful for everyone who has helped me achieve these donations.”
EKC started in 2022. Former University of Iowa kicker Keith Duncan suggested the idea of kickers and punters across the country raising funds for stillbirth prevention to Safris, who says there are about 50 kickers and punters nationwide taking part in this year’s campaign.
“Our participating athletes consistently tell us how impactful their participation is,” Safris said. “Knowing that the dollars they raise can help save a life makes their work on the field mean so much more. They aren’t just helping their team win a game, they’re doing something that positively impacts families in their community.”
Sur plans to continue his EKC fundraising campaign next year when he joins the Northwestern University football team. One of the state’s top kickers in the Class of 2026, Sur chose the Wildcats over several other major offers.
“As soon as I heard about the offer from Coach [David] Braun, I knew [Northwestern] would be my home,” Sur said. “I chose the Wildcats because of the opportunity that it presents me for life after college, a phenomenal degree, an elite college football conference team, intense competition in big settings of college football, great connections, and unrestricted access to resources.”
Sur will major in either economics or business. For now, however, he’s focused on helping Fenwick (6-1) go on an extended run in the state playoffs, one he hopes will end on Thanksgiving weekend at Illinois State University in Normal – site of the state finals.
“This year I think we are improving every week,” said Sur, who booted two field goals in the Friars’ 48-7 victory over Benet, Oct. 17. “We’re a very talented team with many weapons. Our goal is to win a state championship and win every day.
“The key to postseason success is focus throughout practice and film, and to win every day of the week over our opponents. As the postseason approaches, our team must stick together and hold each other accountable.”
