WHITEWATER — With spring ball on the horizon for UW-Whitewater, the Warhawks football team has been ramping up the competition this offseason.
However, it's not by getting in extra lifts or field work at Perkins Stadium.
The program spent an afternoon at Fairhaven Senior Services playing bingo with its residents.
“We've been doing this since I've been a freshman," senior fullback Drake Martin smiled. "It's a whole lot of fun. Just, you know, the conversations you have and the people you meet.”
UW-Whitewater's relationship with Fairhaven's residents spans more than a decade.
“It's good to connect with the community because they always come out and support us," senior defensive end Cole Yocum expressed. "Usually in the fall, they always come out to practice, come watch us practice and they love it. It gives them something to do.”
Over the years, the two groups have participated in a variety of activities together including dog treat making, and various arts and crafts.
“Sitting back and being able to see the interactions between the residents, that's what it's all about," Fairhaven Director of Marketing and Leisure Services Brian Robinson shared. "Whether they're a student athlete, a student, just being able to see and hear these engagements, it's what I come to work for, what coach allows them to come here for. It just warms [the heart]."
While the Warhawks Football team has built their program on serving others, bingo is just a small token for the residents who have given them so much in return.
“It just gives you something to play for," Yocum added. "(It's a) little extra motivation to have their support and everything.”
Fairhaven’s relationship with UW-Whitewater stretches even farther than just with the Warhawks’ Football team.
More than a dozen different groups stretching from athletic teams to even academic departments engage with Fairhaven’s residents on a regular basis.
For more information on how to volunteer at Fairhaven Senior Services, contact Brian Robinson at robinsonb@fairhaven.org.
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