Fresh off their big Super Bowl win, the Taylor Youth Ducks are busy working to brighten the holidays for area senior citizens.
On Tuesday, Dec. 20, about a dozen Taylor Youth Ducks, who just won the Tri-County Youth Football League Super Bowl, assembled at Taylor CAARTS Station to create holiday cards and make ornaments for residents of the S.P.J.S.T. Senior Living Facility in Taylor.
“I need a pencil—that’s what I am thinking,” said Davian Meadows, 10, before writing “Merry Christmas” on top of a piece of white paper.
Soon after, Tonya Patin, a mom of a fellow Duck, shows him how to draw the jagged edges of a Christmas tree to go with it.
Davian Meadows holds a Christmas card he just finished for residents at the S.P.J.S.T. Senior Living facility in Taylor.
“It was that easy?”
Meadows asks incredulously.
“It was that easy,” Patin affirms. “And you can just color the little circles on it, like lights.” Head Coach Quincy Griffin said he jumped at the opportunity for his Youth Ducks to get involved after being invited by Jennifer Harris, the president of Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center.
“They have joy doing this, and I think it’s just awesome,” Griffin said.
“Most of these boys won the state championship, and they just want to give back. We want to teach them more than just football. Hopefully, one day they will make it to the NFL, and they can give back even more.”
Griffin said the Ducks were not only making the cards, but would likely be taking them to the residents as well.
Harris said she helped organize the event in coordination with Life Steps Council on Alcohol and Drugs, which is trying to bring more awareness about their work in Taylor.
“We will be doing lots more (like this) in the future,” Harris said.
Some of the cheerleaders were in attendance as well, including Unitey Fields, 8, who showed up with her mom, Courtney Fields, the cheer coordinator.
“We always like to give back,” she said.
“Anytime Q calls us, we are all hands on deck.”
