Football Fans Volunteer To Shovel Snow At Jeffco Stadium Ahead Of Big Games
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) -- Football fans came out on Thanksgiving - and the day after - to make sure the big games could go on at Jeffco Stadium on Friday and Saturday.
Jeffco Athletics put out a call for help on Wednesday.
Huge task of snow removal of more than a foot of snow at Jeffco Stadium ahead of the 3 state semifinal games Friday & Saturday.
— Jeffco Athletics (@JeffcoAthletics) November 27, 2019
Volunteers can help clear stands starting at 7 am Friday please bring your own shovel. Thanks. #copreps
@columbineftball @DRHS_Athletics @GMHSRams pic.twitter.com/3aKzngM88o
"Huge task of snow removal of more than a foot of snow at Jeffco Stadium ahead of the 3 state semifinal games Friday & Saturday. Volunteers can help clear stands starting at 7 am Friday please bring your own shovel," officials wrote on Twitter.
John Pazen and his buddies from Dakota Ridge High School have been shoveling a lot of snow lately because of all the big snowstorms Colorado has seen this season.
"Just a little but nothing like this," he says as he shovels snow from underneath a bleacher. He adds, "This is a lot more snow than I'm used to."
Ezra Paddock, the Manager of Stadium Operations for Jefferson County Schools, says they got about fifteen inches of snow in the stadium -- and ice underneath it. Removing it is a game of inches.
"You know you just start as soon as you can and try to move what you can" Ezra says, "It's not a fast process. Definitely takes time."
His crew is small. Ezra says, "You're talking two guys to touch every corner of a 10,000 seat stadium."
He appreciates the teamwork the community has shown. "Having other people to come out to help us keep people safe when they watch the game is a huge get," he says.
For parents who helped shovel, it's all about their players. Kelli Hollens is a parent of Columbine High School player she says her motivation is simple; "To get out boys to go play football and the parents to come and watch. Of course it's worth it."
For John and Nicholas, it's a little more personal. "Making sure we can actually sit at a football game," says Nicholas.
There are four games scheduled at the stadium, one Friday night and three Saturday. The grounds crew says the field will be frozen but safe to play on.
Jeffco Athletics announced Friday afternoon that Ralston Valley will play Columbine at 7 p.m., as scheduled.