The day after celebrating their sub-region victory, members of the Sequoyah High School football team spent their Saturday morning serving the community by working with special needs students served by Next Step Ministries.

The Woodstock-based nonprofit offers a Saturday Respite program every weekend to provide parents and guardians of special needs students the opportunity for some time to themselves.

The football players were paired with a special needs student to serve as his or her caregiver throughout the day.  The day’s program was designed as a mini-fall festival with a craft room, playroom, movie room, sports event, puppet show, ice cream party and story time. 

“It was amazing to see how gentle and caring these otherwise tough football players were in this unique setting.  The football players, wearing their jerseys throughout the day, seemed as if they were giants to the participants of the program.  Seeing the football players give of themselves in order interact with others was something inspirational and selfless,” Principal Elliott Berman said.

“It is evident that the parents of the Sequoyah High School football and the administration of Sequoyah High School have done a fabulous job instilling the virtue of selflessness and serving in our athletes,” Berman said.