On Thanksgiving, they would be squaring off in Cranston Stadium, but on the day before, they were all teammates.

The members of the football teams for Cranston East and Cranston West met together at the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center on the afternoon of November 22 for a tradition stemming back 35 years. The two teams, all sporting their jerseys, took brightly decorated paper bags in hand to deliver Thanksgiving dinners to homebound seniors and people living with disabilities who would be alone for the holiday.

Coach for Cranston West Tom Milewski, who has participated in this tradition since 1992, said this was an opportunity for the young men to do something for the city that supports them.

“Even though we’re rivals on the field, off the field we are one city,” he said. “We’re united. It's good to start the holiday season off, give back, we always ask for things from our community. So now's a good time to change for us as players and coaches to give back to our community.”

The teams gathered at the Senior Center after school on Monday, driving or arriving by bus. The young men were given their assigned addresses and bags and sent on their way, but not before hearing a few short speeches from head Coach Milewski for Cranston West and Coach Isaiah McDaniel from Cranston East.

McDaniel said this event provided an opportunity to see their seasons and careers as student athletes in a broader perspective.

“You know, not having the seasons that we want, but being able to stick to it and fight through and overcome adversity,” he said. “Those are the things you learn from football. So being able to do that, it's going to not only help you now, but it helps you in the future. You are young men, so when you become men, you have obstacles in your life, you will know how to overcome them.”

Milewski reminded the young men of the value of empathy in their day’s work.

“For some of them, it's a tough time of the year,” he said. “They may want to have a little conversation with you. Engage with them, talk with them. Just keep in mind that probably everybody has family members that are going to be where these people are today.”

For the seniors on both teams, both the pre-game volunteering on Wednesday and the game on Thursday marked the conclusions of their careers as highschool footballers. Jensy Rodriguez, Captain for Cranston East, had this to say. “This is my last time, I’m just processing everything. It gets a little emotional. You know, seeing that this is the last time I'm touching the field with these guys again, or maybe even ever, but I like to cherish the fact that I'm still with them. We still have one more game.”

Jared Parent, captain for Cranston East, described the wisdom that comes with reliving these traditions each year. “I think every year kind of feels a little better,” he said. “Because especially as you get older, you kind of understand how much you're doing for the community and how you're giving back as much as they do for us. It's just a good day to come together and help them out.”

The teams’ efforts are a large part, but just one part of an enormous volunteer operation organized by the Senior Enrichment Center. Each year hundreds of volunteers work together to provide over 300 thanksgiving meals to the Cranstonians who need them. It is a tradition that persisted even through COVID, when the center was preparing and delivering daily lunches as well.

Senior volunteers, led by Chef Jordan Badgerson cooked and packed the meals on the Tuesday before thanksgiving. They were then placed in gift bags decorated by the seniors participating in adult daycare services at the center. The bags were placed in refrigeration overnight to be carried off in the morning.

The meals include all the Thanksgiving staples: turkey, stuffing, gravy, a roll and butter, green beans, mashed potatoes, as well as an orange and an apple, juice and milk, and a pastry.

On Wednesday morning, volunteers from all over the city, including Mayor Ken Hopkins and Representative Seth Magaziner, were handed maps and bags to deliver.

With approximately 300 meals handed out, the service is just about at capacity, but despite that Executive Director Stephen Craddock says “Anybody who wants a good meal, we’ll get them one.”

The Cranston Senior Enrichment Center will be delivering Christmas meals in a similar fashion, but without the help of the Football teams, they’ll need all the volunteers they can get.

To volunteer at the center, look for the volunteer tab at www.cranstonseniorcenter.com.