Thanksgiving is fast approaching and that means football will be played, whether it’s the NFL or family competitiveness in the backyard. Casa Latina followed suit with their annual Turkey Bowl on Nov. 20 at the Clark Center Field at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Casa Latina does this activity to raise money to give to the less fortunate. This year, Casa Latina helped by packing bags full of food for over 100 families.

Thanksgiving football is an annual tradition in Massachusetts.  Going with that spirit, Casa Latina wanted a fun way for people to give back. Their Turkey Bowl tournament has four teams each with at least five players, and each game is 12 minutes long. The tag football game is co-ed, so teams can be made up of males and females.

“Its just something that I love to do, giving back. I feel like everyone should,” said Casa Latina Coordinator, Colleen Island-Mateo, “We are very fortunate to live like this and that’s why I love and promote, especially for Casa Latina, giving back.”  

Turkey Bowls are common in high school. They usually take place the weekend of Thanksgiving or the weekend before. The two biggest rivalries in the high school school district have a game and the winner is usually rewarded with some sort of trophy. During this time, alumni come out to support the current team while visiting the school at the same time. High schools also use this game to raise money for the school if needed or for families that may be going through hard times during the holidays.

For Casa Latina members, the Turkey Bowl is a great way to bond while raising money for a great cause at the same time.

“Normally we do it annually and we collect five dollars from each player, half of the profit goes to an foundation that we give to and the other half goes to Casa Latina graduation,” said Eliana Taveras, a member of Casa Latina. “It’s also just a way for people to have fun meet other people, with this being a commuter school I meet a lot of friends doing activities like this.”
Thanksgiving is a time where families comes together and spend time with one another. Its also a time for strangers to enjoy friendly competition. Football and Thanksgiving come hand and hand because they bring people together for the better.