Golden Eagles football fundraiser rocks Sydenham Legion

Craig Bakay | Oct 24, 2018

Sydenham High School junior football coach Karl Hammer was optimistic they’d make enough to finish outfitting the teams with shoulder pads, thereby finishing the goal they began with a similar fundraiser last year.

If there was any left over, he hoped to get some tackling dummies sewn back up after a red squirrel got into the storage shed behind the scoreboard at The Point Park last summer.

“The red squirrel really went to town,” Hammer said. “It literally destroyed four bags and we’re hoping to replace them.

“And fundraising also provides a way to help a kid who can’t afford it play football.

“Football’s not cheap.”

So that’s why Hammer and senior coach Mike Love got a group of volunteers together to put on a night of music, dancing and silent auctions at the Legion Saturday night.

The music was provided by the Revell family and friends, and area country rockers Still Standing.

“All it took was a phone call and Tom (Revell) had a band together for this,” Hammer said. “We go way back.

“It was the same with Still Standing.”

Hammer sees football as an important part of school life.

“I’ve played a lot of sports but nothing is quite the outlet that football is,” he said. “And you never want to miss an opportunity to give a kid that outlet.

“And it’s different in the village.”

Both Golden Eagles teams are leading their divisions this year and “making a run,” he said.

Hammer said he couldn’t have done it without the help of Amymee Myers and Melissa Kott, who organized the silent auction.

“Guys just can’t do this kind of stuff,” he said.

He said there wouldn’t be a Bubba Bowl this year because of the difficulty scheduling night games in Sydenham but they have made an arrangement with La Salle Secondary to alternate home field night games from year to year.

“La Salle was a country school when it first started,” he said.

If you weren’t able to make the fundraiser but would still like to make a donation, contact the school in person or call 613-376-3612.