An elementary student in the Mars Area School District recently spent a football Saturday with a local college team.
3rd-grader Chacen Sicignaro was invited to be Edinboro’s “12th Man” at a game earlier this month. The program is designed to provide children with special needs or terminal illness an opportunity to be a member of the football team.
“When I first met Chacen, we talked about football and how we both liked the Steelers. Each week of school, we would continue to talk about Sunday football and if the Steelers did a good job,” Savannah Fischer, Mars Area Elementary School special education teacher said.
Chacen spent time with the team at practice on a Friday, before donning a number 12 jersey and hanging out on the sidelines with Edinboro in their game with Clarion.
“The pure joy that he expressed Friday and Saturday while at the game and practice with the team is indescribable,” Fischer said. “He is typically quiet and takes some time to warm up to people, but this wasn’t the case when he met the team. He was so outgoing and cheered on the team the entire game.”
The 12th Man program selects an honorary team member prior to each season for each home football game.
