Someday, someone ought to make a movie about the Estevan Comprehensive School and Estevan Minor Football programs.Not only is it a feel-good story all around, but it also goes to show that in football, like in life, if you work hard, with the help of a supporting cast, you can get things done."I've played every other sport, my son's played every other sport, but football really captures you in a different way and I think that's because everyone on the team has to contribute. In football, if all 12 of those men on the field aren't playing well, you're not going anywhere," said Brenda Lyons, organizer of the Parents for ECS football group.In Saskatchewan, everyone knows about the 13th man - a fan base cheering its beloved team on to victory and sticking with the franchise through thick and thin.In Estevan, a city already well known for having many generous and supportive individuals, the 13th man is the entire community.This strong show of support for the existence of football in Estevan was certainly evident on Saturday afternoon when $90,000 was donated during the Party in the Park celebration kicking off the local minor football season.Of that, $50,000 was donated to Estevan Minor Football by local dentist Dr. Dean Chow and his family.Due to the generosity of his donation, and because the money will go towards improving it, the practice field at Woodlawn Regional Park will be named Chow Field.Brian Senchuk, president of EMF, said the money will go towards putting in lights at the practice field.The rest of the donations handed out on Saturday, some $40,000, will go towards the ECS football program, and more specifically, the locker room construction initiative.Meyers Norris Penny opened up the donations on Tuesday during the ECS Tailgate for Touchdowns barbecue, presenting a cheque for $5,000 to the team.Then, on Saturday during the opening ceremonies at Woodlawn Regional Park, Gem Well Maintenance donated $10,000 and the Estevan Rotary Club put up $25,000.The $40,000 is a good start, but the team has a ways to go still before the locker room can be paid off, said Lyons.The locker room has been budgeted at somewhere between $70-$80,000. After this, the team hopes to construct a fence around its new practice facility which will likely run another $30,000.The donations received on Saturday put the club at about halfway to paying off the locker room bill, said Lyons.Other funds raised, like the proceeds from the Tailgate for Touchdowns and Party in the Park celebrations, as well as $12,500 donated to the team by the Estevan for Riderville committee put the actual amount raised at a little above half.The donations are obviously appreciated, but for the team, staff and parents group, no one will be content until the locker room is up and operational."We're obviously very thrilled that we've had a couple of really big sponsorships, like the Rotary Club pitching in $25,000 - we weren't in our wildest dreams thinking we were going to get that size of a donation. But, we're only halfway there and the season's already begun. We have some kids who are seniors this year and we'd really like for them to have a locker room before they graduate," said Lyons.The cement for the building's foundation was poured on Friday. Monday's rains put a delay on the actual construction of the building, but if all goes well, the team should be able to use the locker room within two weeks, said Senchuk.Both Lyons and Senchuk are calling for volunteers to help finish the locker room. The manual labour duties will include building lockers and a bench."If we could get some volunteers that would be great - anyone who's good with woodworking and that sort of thing," said Lyons. "If people can't help financially, they can help with volunteer labour."At the end of the day, both Senchuk and Lyons would agree that although the parents' group and the minor football staff and executive have done a lot of work, the kids - those 12 men on the field on each side of the ball - have really stepped up, worked hard and deserve to see all of their goals come to fruition."It's a huge accomplishment, and it wouldn't exist if some of the kids weren't really passionate about the sport. They drove it. They asked for it. And they've really come through. You can say whatever you want about the teen generation, but we have some remarkable leaders on that football team, and when they asked for a team, they put their whole heart and soul into it," said Lyons.The generous donations from businesses and individuals in the community are proof that Estevan wants to give back to the football teams as well."It makes the program feel worthy," said Senchuk. "It's not only good, it's necessary for our younger generation. It goes to show that for our younger kids, people care, and they want our younger kids involved in organizations that can not only help them athletically, but as citizens as well."Although they've still got a ways to go, Lyons is optimistic that the projects will before season's end."I wouldn't enter into these projects if I wasn't optimistic. We have such a good group of parents and the administration at the school has been really helpful. Football is a positive sport and I just want to maintain the optimism that the boys have. Anything is possible - we try to teach these kids that anything is possible and I believe it."
