Pekin, Fairfield teams visit nursing home

FAIRFIELD - The best sight of the local 2019 high school football season may have been seen before a game was ever played.

Pekin and Fairfield scrimmages Friday night at Fairfield, but Friday afternoon the two teams met at the Parkview Nursing Home to meet and greet the residents.

Teenagers showing the elderly that they were worth their time is quite an impact statement of action.

Every year Pekin head football coach Bud Blakely has his team do some kind of a community outreach, like clean a cemetary or do some repairs to needed sites around towns.

'I talked to Fairfield head coach Nate Weaton and we thought this opportunity would be a good deal for both of us,” Blakely said. 'Sarah Flattery did a lot to help us organize it. Lee Muntz of the radio station was involved.”

The teams had a meal, a trivia contest and played some other games.

'It was just a good time,” Blakely said. 'I thought it was important that we show the residents that they are valued members of the community.”

The teams scrimmaged Friday evening at Fairfield High School's Pearl Smith Field.

'We found out what we needed to get better at,” Blakely said. 'We were able to secure some positions and hone in on a few things.”

Blakely adressed both teams when it was over.

'I told then that the ‘win' of the day was the visit to the nursing home,” he said. 'I told then I was very impressed with how they handled themselves. It was a great experience for all of us and I hope to continue it.”