The Helena High football team senior class brought a little holiday cheer to Bryant Elementary School Wednesday morning with a charitable act.
The players surprised the school at their annual holiday program with a new ball cart and dozens of new footballs, soccer balls and kickballs.
Each year parents of the football players get gifts for the graduating seniors as a way to commemorate their last year with the team. This year the players asked the parents not to get gifts for them, but to raise money that could go to helping the students at Bryant Elementary.
“Well we just decided that we would rather give back to the community than have senior gifts for ourselves,” said Trey Martin, Helena High senior. “Bryant just went through a huge thing with the rebuild and all that, and they didn’t really have any toys, so we just thought it would be better if we gave back.”
The team reached out to the school to see what would best benefit the students.
“I told them we were without a ball cart or equipment for our students at recess,” said Principal Trish Klock. “If they could get a new ball cart, I could work with a foundation to get the balls. They told me not to worry and they’d get the balls too.”
Klock taught several of the players as freshmen at Helena High. She told MTN she is so proud of the positive, caring and selfless young men they’ve become.
“They were always good kids, but it’s just so amazing to see the people they’ve grown into; guys who see outside of themselves and want to help others,” said Klock. “They come in and read to the younger students, work with the after school basketball program and are really great role models for them.”
