Football, fun and friendship return in annual event

An annual event returned to a high school in Cambridge to help forge new friendships and foster a sense of belonging. CTV’s Colton Wiens reports.

An annual tradition focused on good times instead of field goals has returned to the gridiron at a Cambridge high school.

For almost a decade, students from Light House Adult Day Program’s Alternative Continuum of Education (ACE) program have been invited onto the football field to make some memories. This year, the event returned to Jacob Hespeler Secondary School.

Football players from Wilfrid Laurier University and Jacob Hespeler welcomed the ACE participants from Jacob Hespeler Secondary School and Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School. Students from Jacob Hespeler’s leadership class were also part of the fun.

Everyone is put through their paces in a variety of football drills throughout the day.

“I was running and then go on the hula hoops and then go around and touch the mat,” Jensen Bitna, an ACE program student at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School, said.

Laughs are plentiful and lifelong bonds are formed as the players and students learn from each other.

“I’m very big on trying to help out anybody else who needs it,” Jessie Wilkins-Flaricee, a Wilfrid Laurier University linebacker, said. “Give back to the community. Just as a whole, just be a part of other people and other things that are going on. It’s very important to me just to help.”

Light House has a long-standing relationship with the university that dates back approximately nine years.

“We just love this partnership,” Todd Galloway, Wilfrid Laurier University’s head football coach, said. “Being able to not only work with the Light House every year, but now start to work with some of the ACE programs in the high schools and make sure that we can help them contribute – these guys can come out and have some fun together.”

Light House has worked with ACE students from the Waterloo Region District School Board for the past few years, and typically held events at Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School and St. Mary’s High School. This year they decided to invite about a dozen Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School students to join around 20 Jacob Hespeler Secondary School students at one large event.

“We’ve been going individually to each school, and we thought it was a lot easier just to have [everyone] come together, and it’s a bit more community building to have them all come together,” Kyle Craig, Light House’s program director, said.

“It’s fun,” Mathew Ardiel, an ACE student at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School and former member of their football team, said.

“It’s been fun. It’s good for them to get out here. They’re having a great time,” Charlie Pederson, a student and football player at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School said. “They’re having fun jumping on the mats and stuff and it’s just a good day,”

Galloway said when he put out the call for volunteers from his team, about ten players jumped at the opportunity.

“Right now, they’re in the middle of their summer training and full-time jobs. And they still wanted to take time out of their day, because this is important to them,” Galloway said.

“Go Golden Hawks! And just everybody, stay involved in your community, help in any way you can because it really helps,” Wilkins-Flaricee said.