Football mania was the hot thing at the Masonic Children's Home in July. Within a week's time, the Children's Home was visited by some of the football players from Pennsylvania's elite scholastic team, the Big 33, and by the four-time San Francisco 49ers' Super Bowl quarterback Joe Montana.

Big 33 Players Visit

Masonic Children's Home residents get to know Big 33 player Kevin Jones during the players' visit to Elizabethtown.

Five Big 33 football players, three cheerleaders, and a coach visited the Masonic Children's Home on July 16. It was the seventh year in a row that Big 33 participants have visited the Masonic Children's Home.

"The Big 33 football players and cheerleaders are positive role models for our children," said Bro. Gilson "Buz" Cash, Director of Children's Services at the Masonic Homes and a member of the Operations Committee for Big 33.

Each year, the top 33 high school seniors from throughout Pennsylvania are selected by the Pennsylvania Scholastic High School Football Association to travel to Hershey for a week to play 33 all-stars from Ohio. This year the game was held on July 21 and the Pennsylvania team won!

According to Bro. Cash, the game is deemed by many as the "Super Bowl of high school football," since there has never been a Super Bowl played that did not include an alumnus of the Big 33 game.

Funds from the Big 33 game go toward non-athletic scholarships for high school students.

Joe Montana Visits

Joe Montana poses for a picture with residents of the Masonic Children's Home.

On July 22, four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers paid a visit to the Masonic Children's Home.

The popular star quarterback was in town serving as the Honorary Chairman of the Big 33 football game, held at Hershey Stadium on July 23. As a member of the Operations Committee for the Big 33, Bro. Cash was responsible for chaperoning him to appointments leading up to the game.

At the Masonic Children's Home, the football legend greeted the children, posed for pictures, and signed autographs. This was a very exciting day for the kids and staff!