After the first week of two-a-days our varsity football players conduct a community service activity at three of the nursing homes in the Stillwater community. The three nursing homes participating are Good Samaritan Stillwater, Golden Living Center Greeley, and Golden Living Center Linden.

Our players focus on interacting with the residents. The Ponies Touchdown Club sponsors Bingo prizes and treats at each site as well.  While our players are busy playing Bingo, they concentrate on talking with the residents which is of more importance to all involved.

The nursing home staffs love this event. They know how much their residents appreciate the opportunity to interact with Stillwater’s youth, especially the football team.

Our players use their personal, social, and Bingo skills and experience to give back to the elderly in our own community. Through this experience, our high school players reflect on their relationship with elderly, especially those in their family, while giving to others. In the end, our Ponies help continue and grow our proud tradition of excellence in football and personal growth and development.

While there are many ways for our players to serve the Stillwater area, Coach LaBore had a very close relationship with his grandma Elizabeth, whom he called “Granny.” Elizabeth, who passed away in 2017 at 102, lived with Coach LaBore’s family for almost 30 years (since he was born) but spent her final seven years in a nursing home. While Coach LaBore’s immediate family is big and coordinated daily visitors it became abundantly clear that many residents at her home were lonely and rarely had company. Coach LaBore and the Ponies hope that this one event can help overcome that reality in a small way.