Blue Demon players share Christmas with seniors

Christiansburg’s Tonda Carter, De’Quan Green-Gause, and Joey Augustin visit with Ressie. Photo by Travis Williams/The Burgs

The Christiansburg Blue Demon football team is looking a lot less devilish lately.

“I feel like we’re elves,” senior Tonda Carter said as he stuffed a Christmas card envelope.

Carter’s card, along with over 70 others, were hand-delivered Thursday to the English Meadows Senior Living Community as the varsity squad did their best impersonations of Santa’s helpers by decorating cookies, singing carols, and handing out gifts to the community’s residents.

“I don’t mind working for Santa,” senior De’Quan Green-Guase said.

Green-Gause, Carter, and several teammates kicked off the effort, which was spearheaded by Christiansburg Touchdown Club member Diane Fenton, Wednesday by spending the final hour of their school day signing cards and building gift bags.

Each gender-themed gift bag included a variety of toiletries, shaving cream and razors for the men, socks and hand lotion for the women, a Blue Demons water bottle for both, and was wrapped in a decorative bag provided by Bath and Body Works or Cracker Barrel.

“It’s like a little Christmas assembly line,” Carter said.

Thursday afternoon the players continued their elfish ways by traveling, along with head coach Tim Cromer, to English Meadows to meet their excited recipients.

The players took on the room of seniors citizens in a true team fashion with some players decorating cookies, others serving eggnog, and many visiting with the residents.

Junior Mack Muldoon said what he most enjoyed about the day was the visiting, and especially getting to hear the stories of the residents.

Teammate Caleb Caldwell agreed and added that it was interesting to hear how similar the two men he talked with were to himself.

“Both of them played football and one played basketball,” Caldwell said.

While the players intent was to spread seasons’ greetings, they also wanted to communicate their appreciation for the community’s support and their help with addition of the team’s new practice field, as well as their support during last season’s trip to the state football finals.

“They’ve helped us out a lot,” junior C.J. Curlee said.

Such an attitude of citizenship and living beyond themselves are some of the fundamental philosophies Cromer hopes to instill in his players.

“When you’re a member of a team…you’re responsible for something greater than yourself,” Cromer said.

For close to an hour the team expressed their appreciation and well wishes to individual residents before a group of players, led by Caldwell, brought the party to a close with the singing of Christmas carols.

Though it was the residents who got presents Thursday, it’s very likely that everyone walked away having received a gift.

“It’s just good to see a smile on their faces,” Green-Gause said.

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