Tiger-cats invited 4,000 local school children to Tim Hortons Field for inaugural healthy-living initiative
Thousands of Hamilton school children poured off busses and onto the turf at Tim Hortons Field on Tuesday. There was a buzz of excitement as nearly 4000 grade fives from local elementary schools squeezed onto the playing surface over two sessions. Stripes entertained the energetic crowd as they clambered for an opportunity to be captured by the camera and watch their smiling faces projected on the stadium’s videoboard. MC, retired player John Williams, further riled the audience by introducing players, Justin Capicciotti, Jeremiah Masoli, Adrian Tracy, Mike Filer, Craig Butler, Nick Shortill, Mike Daly, and Zach Collaros. “Oskee Wee Wee,” shouted thousands of small voices, as Butler led a captive audience in the Tiger-Cat’s famous cheer.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats played host to these local school children for the inaugural BeFit Day presented by Summer Fresh. The first ever healthy-living initiative held at the stadium was a culmination of this year’s BeFit Program that has reached a growing number of Hamilton schools and community centres since 2010. In 2017, BeFit engaged 36% more schools than in previous years, adding to the almost 80,000 students the program has impacted since its inception. The BeFit campaign strives to deliver Tiger-Cat player and coach appearances in the community to promote healthy, active lifestyles for Hamilton youth.
On Tuesday, children were thrilled by interactive player-led games educating them about healthy eating and physical activity. Examples include a choreographed dance and a cooking demonstration which were led by Tiger-Cat cheerleaders and Tim Hortons Field chefs respectively. The event culminated with eager student volunteers taking part in an obstacle course as classmates cheered wildly from the sidelines.
According to Chris Moase, teacher at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary School, the students were “really excited when they found out they were going to get to go on the field.”
For the students, a chance to share the field with pro footballers was an exciting prospect.
For teachers, the day represented an opportunity to put classroom discussions into practice. “We spend a lot of time talking about how to take care of ourselves mentally and physically. We always encourage them to get active and fit,” said Prince of Wales teacher, Dave Wilkinson.
At the conclusion of the event, tired students were ushered through the gates to the waiting busses. As they exited the stadium, each received a tote bag containing a number of take-home prizes including a recipe card from the cooking demonstration prepared earlier in the program. For Wilkinson, this represented a natural extension of important classroom initiatives. “We always look for ways to make what [the students] eat at home affordable as well as nutritious. It’s fantastic when they get their parents involved, so the learning can continue outside the classroom,” he said.
Tim Hortons Field was left markedly more subdued as the raucous crowd piled onto busses and reluctantly returned to school. Ticats staff members and players alike were already looking forward to next year’s event as they watched the students pull away.