New West residents are invited to join in the festivities of Hyack Homecoming 2018.
The annual event is taking place at Mercer Stadium on Friday, Sept. 14, beginning with an alumni flag football game at 4 p.m., a pre-game party at 5 p.m. featuring a family fun zone, mascots (including a visit from Marshall, Chase and Skye from Paw Patrol between 5:30 and 7 p.m.) and a tug-of-war competition. An alumni reception takes place at 6 p.m.
“It’s the 14th edition of Homecoming. It’s a great community celebration. It’s not just about the football. There’s bouncy castles and all kinds of kids’ activities and that kind of thing,” said Barb Beale, who’s in charge of corporate sponsorship for the Hyacks. “This year’s theme is Hyacks’ Past, Present and Future Champions.”
More than 220 students aged five to 18 take part in the Hyacks program annual. To date, 40 players who have been in the program have earned college football scholarships.
“Our big event each year is Homecoming,” Beale said. “Everybody comes out. Kids who play, kids who don’t play. Boys, girls, kids from other schools, grandparents, parents. It’s a wonderful family activity and we really try and keep it family-friendly.”
The City Haulers are set to take on More Than you Bargained For at this year’s Homecoming tug-of-war competition.
Beale said the completion is “all in good fun” and shows community involvement.
“I think it is something we should get more organizations involved in,” she said of the competitor won by the City Haulers last year. “We are going to try and recruit a few more corporations.”
The festivities will include a celebration of the AAA Hyacks team that won the B.C. Championship in 2017. Kickoff for the evening’s game between the New Westminster Hyacks and the Abbotsford Panthers is at 7:30 p.m.
