Mascots, Lehi High School team face off in charity football game
Lehi High School hosted the Sixth Annual Mascot Bowl on Monday night, with Lehi Youth Football players taking on mascots from around Utah and the NFL and NBA, as well as celebrity quarterbacks. The mascots won the game, 34-30.
“There’s no stress in this, it’s just a lot of fun to come out and play,” said Kevin Schaeffer, the youth’s coach. “It lets our boys know that they’re doing something for the community.”
The event raises money for the Firemen and Friends for Kids, a charity that gives underprivileged children the chance to shop for presents at Christmas time. Joey Tilley, an event organizer, said it’s exciting that mascots from all over come to participate in the game.
“It’s just a great cause,” Tilley said. “All the money we get here tonight goes to that.”
In addition to raising money for Firemen and Friends for Kids, the event honored the men and women who have or are currently serving for the United States in the Middle East. Organizers took donations for Operation Give, an organization that is now collecting items to send in Christmas stockings for troops in Iraq.
Kyle Beckerman and Chris Wingert, who play for Real Salt Lake, coached the mascot team. Aaron Boone, former NFL player and wide receiver for the Utah Blaze, played quarterback for the mascots.
The mascot team features “Bear” of the Utah Jazz, “Grizbee” of the Utah Grizzlies, “Swoop” from the University of Utah, Brigham Young University’s “Cosmo,” “Rocky” from the Rocky Mountain Raceway, Weber State University’s “Waldo,” “Leonardo” from SLC Real, “Chief” of the Blaze, and Salt Lake Bees’ “Bumble.” This year the mascot team also included one NFL mascot from the Denver Broncos, “Miles,” and 4 mascots from the NBA: the Phoenix Suns’ “Gorilla,” “Boomer” from the Indiana Pacers, “Blaze” from the Portland Trailblazers, and “Crunch” from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The event also featured the Nu Skin Jazz Dancers, Lehi High cheer and drill teams, the University of Utah stunt team and the drum lines from BYU and U of U.