Plaques and trophies fill the EHS commons every day. And each year, EHS adds more trophies to its cases and plaques to its walls.

Edwardsville High School is used to greatness.

But Friday, Aug. 26, EHS hosted two documents greater than any trophy. These documents changed sports for all American citizens by breaking the color barrier between blacks and whites in Major League Baseball. Mikalai Kontilai, a self-proclaimed “serial collector,” brought Jackie Roosevelt Robinson’s original MLB contracts to EHS.

Kontilai is CEO and president of Collectors Café, a new television series on the History Channel. In 2013, Collectors Café acquired Robinson’s 1945 minor league affiliate contract with the Montreal Royals and his 1947 Major League Baseball contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Prior, the contracts’ locations were unknown for over 50 years.

“These documents are at the forefront of what America is all about,” Kontilai said. “Most importantly, these documents represent the spirit and fabric of America.”

To give America an opportunity to view the history they have been denied in the past, Collectors Café is sponsoring the Freedom Tour to unveil the contracts across the country and eventually place the contracts in a museum or institution.

“This is something that you’re going to be able to talk about to your children and grandchildren,” Kontilai said. “You will remember this moment because standing on this stage is a piece of American and world history.”

Of all the stages this document will see, Edwardsville is the only high school stage it will rest on. The Midwest received its spot on the tour thanks to founder and president of Weinacht & Associates manufacturers’ representative corporation, Kevin Weinacht, and his son, EHS senior Connor Weinacht.

The Weinachts met Kontilai at a Rams football game nearly five years ago and developed a close friendship.

Kevin encouraged Kontilai to travel back to St. Louis with the contracts to visit the city’s pride and joy, Cardinal Nation. Kontilai took Kevin’s advice and visited Busch Stadium Aug. 25.

But the Weinachts had two other requests for Kontilai. Connor wanted Robinson’s contracts to be presented at his high school and Kevin wanted to bring the contract to his hometown, Collinsville, Ill.

Kontilai’s connection to the area as a SIU-Carbondale graduate and the Weinachts’ persuasion brought Kontilai to the Midwest, but he said the atmosphere during his tour of EHS kept him here.

“We want the high school that we’re bringing these documents to be a high school that has high standards of excellence,” Kontilai said. “I walked away [from EHS] being extremely impressed.”

As a first generation American, Kontilai’s upbringing molded him to value education, shown in his applause for EHS teachers and principals during the presentation. Living in Italy, Kontilai’s father received a third grade education and his mother received a second grade education. Both received low skill and low wage jobs when they immigrated to America before Kontilai’s birth.

Kontilai’s dad told him if he worked and studied hard, he could do anything. And Kontilai wants to pass that message on to tomorrow’s leaders through Robinson’s contracts.

“All of us have a great mission and destiny to be the best we can be in whatever this great country affords us to be,” Kontilai said. “And to try to do something that is going to make a difference in other people’s lives. I think Jackie Robinson wants that.”