Union Redskins Football

On Friday, April 1st, Coach Gaines and a group of approximately 20 football players traveled to Jefferson Elementary School from 2:30 - 3:45 to spend time, play, and mentor the young elementary children. Jefferson Elementary counselor, Bobbie Fields, organizes and supervises the "Gotcha Games" for the young students. These students earn reward points they can spend and use on a variety of different options. However, Ms. Fields let us know that the most popular time is when the elementary students know the football players are on the schedule for the Gotcha Games.

Our next Redskin AID opportunity is this Saturday morning from 9:00 - 11:00 am at the Liberty Church helping pack meals for the Feed My Starving Children organization.
 

On Friday, March 4th, 2 Redskin AID teams invaded Boevers Elementary in celebration of Read Across America Week. 21 of our student-athletes visited 10 different classrooms and read various Dr. Suess books to the young elementary students. In addition to the reading, our players answered many different questions from the students in the various classes. Most importantly, they continued to spread the message about being good students, listening to their parents and teachers, staying away from drugs, and, the most important message, "Live like a Champion."

Redskin AID finished up the scheduled spring events on Saturday, April 17th.  On that day from 12:00 - 3:00, over 70 of our football players joined up with Tulsa H.O.P.E. and Feed My Starving Children to pack over 200,000 meals. On Thursday, April 15th, a group attended the extended day program at the 6th/7th grade center for some mentoring and tutoring. The week before that, April 8th, a group visited the Sterling House again for some more BINGO with the residents.

Special thanks to Coach Neal for leading Redskin AID this Spring! Coach Neal did an awesome job of expanding the program, developing more extensive community relations, and improving the service events and their participation.

Football players involved in Redskin AID and volunteering at the Alzheimer's Memory Walk on August 28th. Some of our players and the Bixby Cheerleaders led a chant to stop Alzheimers and also cheered for the participants at the finish line. Sarah Frey, Senior Vice President of the Alzheimer's Assoc. of Oklahoma and Arkansas, said our boys were fantastic and did a great job.

On Saturday, September 25th, a group of our football players volunteered to help with Race for the Cure. Our players helped tear down tents, tables, and chairs and assisted with the cleaning up after the event. The organizers were very appreciative and our players did a fantastic job while representing our district.

On March 25th, about 40 of our Football Players and 3 of our Athletic Trainers attended the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Gala in the Ball Room of the Convention Center downtown. These volunteers spent over five hours welcoming and greeting those in attendance, encouraging silent auction and raffle purchases, seating the guests, collecting information from contributors, providing custodial and various managerial services, escorting guests to their vehicles, and much more. These volunteers certainly represented the football program well, and they also played a part in an event that raised over $760,000 for a great cause.

Union Junior Varsity Football has teamed up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Eleven year old Curtis suffers from End Stage Renal Failure.  His wish is to be an "OU Sooner for a day" and to meet Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford (Curtis is also Cherokee).  He also would like to take part in the coin toss and run out of the tunnel with the team.

Donations will be taken at Junior Varsity football games.  Please plan to attend a game to support the Redskins and make a donation to help Curtis realize his dream.

The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is to grant wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Thursday, March 4th, a group of our athletes visited the Children's Hospital at St. Francis. The athletes visited several patients. They talked, played games, and handed out Union Football T-shirts and the 2009 season Hi-light DVDs.

Also on Thursday, March 4th, a group went to Boevers Elementary to take part in the Reading Across America activities. Each of the athletes went to a classroom where they read to the students, talked to the students about living like a champion, and signed autographs for the students.

Friday, March 5th, a group went to Jefferson Elementary to participate in "Gotcha Games." The athletes played games and hung out with the elementary students.

On February 25th, a group of our athletes visited the John 3:16 Mission Children and Youth Center. The football players were there to greet the elementary school children as they got out of school and entered the gymnasium. They all played games and had fun getting to know one another. They finished their afternoon together with snacks and homework time.

18 volunteer Redskin Football Players took part in the Union Kids Baseball Field Work Day. Coach Neal and Coach Tempest organized the event, but because it took place during the weekend, the event was completely voluntary. These volunteer players worked extremely hard in cold, wet weather while completing many projects for the Union Kids Baseball organization. They cleared, measured and marked fields, hung signs, cleaned and landscaped the entrance to the complex, organized and cleared dugouts, laid paver stones around walkways, and repaired the chain-link fences around many of the 15 fields.

On February 11th, 2010, several football players visited Sterling House where they spent time visiting with residents and playing BINGO.

Redskin AID visited the 6th and 7th Grade Center on February 4th. The football players split up and visited classrooms to talk with the students, read to the classes, and help with projects and classwork. After school let out for the afternoon, the team spent time with the students who are involved in the "extended day program". The football players paired up with the younger students so they could share with the them the importance of living like a champion. They finished up the day with scooter races and autographs.

Hillary’s Dream is a project that provides formal attire to high school students who otherwise would not be able to attend their school’s prom. The mission is to collect and provide these outfits for needy Union students. This program is associated with a national program called Becca’s Closet ( www.beccascloset.org). These ladies are asking for donations of new or gently used formal wear, including women’s dresses and accessories and men’s formal attire. The athletic trainers and managers are part of UHS Football team and are proud of be a part of the Redskin AID program. Donations may be dropped off at any Union Public Schools location.

Union Redskins Football has teamed up with the Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa (DSAT) to raise funds for First Downs for Down Syndrome. This program was started by Legendary Coach Gene Stallings.

The first Redskin AID event of the spring kicked off on February 5th with a visit to The Children's Hospital at St. Francis.  Sixteen athletes visited two floors, going room to room to visit the patients and their families.  They also handed out souveneirs and signed autographs.  These participants have also been assigned a reflection paper that they will turn in on Monday.

Redskin AID participated in two events on Saturday, April 4th. Our athletes joined the Down Syndrome Asssociation of Tulsa for an Easter Egg Hunt and Photographs. Jake Keller filled in as the Easter Bunny.

Redskin AID also teamed up with GUTS Church that same day to paint over our community's graffiti.

Several players assisted with a recent carnival at Clark Elementary.  Players interacted with the kids, worked games and helped setup and take down the inflatables.  Over 600 people showed up, out doing the expected crown of 200.  More information.