GTHS Football Team Gives Back

Studying hard and working hard on the field isn’t the only thing Grand Terrace High School’s (GTHS) football players do—they help out in the community, too. On June 19, ten of GTHS’s football players volunteered a few hours of their time to help serve food at the First Congregational Church Soup Kitchen in downtown Riverside as part of the program’s efforts to emphasize community outreach as a beneficial part of everyday life, according to GTHS Football Boosters President Jeanette Valadez. “Coach Strauss is really teaching the boys that life isn’t just about football, but that it’s important to give back,” Valadez said of GTHS Head Football Coach Harold Strauss. “We want to show the kids that not everyone has it so well.” And the experience had a big impact on the players, she said. “This was a great experience for the boys. They really enjoyed it. They were [struck] by seeing children there as young as maybe two or three years old,” said Valadez. The volunteer efforts were just one of many that the program plans to get involved in, added Valadez. Up next, the program is starting a clothing and sock drive beginning July 8. “There were homeless [people] who were grateful to see the [players] there, and they were asking them if they had any socks,” said Valadez. “It makes you realize that these people don’t have some of the little things, like socks.” Those who are interested in donating clothing and/or socks may donate to the Grand Terrace High School Football Boosters on Monday and Tuesday evenings at the Grand Terrace High School football stadium at 7 p.m., starting July 8. Grand Terrace High School is located at 21810 Main Street, Grand Terrace.