Cross-town adversaries Mansfield Senior High School and Madison High School will have extra motivation to win their annual football rivalry match this fall thanks to a charitable dinner organized by Richland County Children Services.
This October will mark the first Richland County Children Services Spaghetti Bowl, a pasta dinner open to the public that will benefit two charities chosen by the schools. The dinner will be held on Monday, Oct. 27 at Mansfield Senior High School’s cafeteria, and proceeds will go to United Way of Richland County and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
“At Richland County Children Services we’ve had a spaghetti dinner for a number of years, and we really wanted to expand that with community partners and make it something bigger,” Greg Kahl, representative for Children Services, said at a Friday morning press conference.
Kahl stated the goal of the Spaghetti Bowl was to create an event that focused on family, emphasized the area’s passion for football, and benefitted a philanthropic cause. The rivalry match dates back to 1933 when Mansfield Senior and Madison first met on the football field.
“This has a tremendous history; I don’t have to tell you about that,” said Kahl. “As it stands right now it’s pretty even. The Tygers have the lead with 24 victories, and Madison has 21 victories.”
The game will be held on Friday, Oct. 31 at the new artificial Ram Field at StarTek Stadium. As usual, the match is the last regular-season game of the 2014 season.
“[Children’s Services] doesn’t get anything personally out of this event except the opportunity to see two great football teams play and to benefit charity, and for us that’s a win-win,” said Children Services Executive Director Patty Harrelson. “Between the spaghetti dinner, the Halloween parade and the football game on Friday, fall doesn’t get any better than that.”
Doors to the spaghetti dinner on Oct. 27 will open at 6 p.m. with tickets selling for $7 in advance and at the door. Members of the two teams and coaching staffs will also attend the dinner. Head coaches, Sean Conway of Madison and Chioke Bradley of Mansfield Senior, will make remarks. Former players who competed in the rivalry match over the years will also speak. Children under the age of six may attend for free. The two schools will also sell t-shirts for the event and the game.
The winning team’s charity will receive a check worth 75 percent of the dinner and t-shirt proceeds. The losing team’s charity will receive a check worth 25 percent of the proceeds. Mansfield Senior selected the United Way of Richland County and Madison selected the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
“Any time you can combine these charities that we’re playing for with the greatest rivalry in north central Ohio, it’s a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved,” said Head Coach Sean Conway of the Madison Rams. “This is a great opportunity personally for me because it combines the two greatest loves of my life, which is Madison Ram football and adoption.”
Conway explained the cause of adoption is special to him after he and his wife realized they could not have children of their own.
“You can imagine the range of emotions, feeling like you’re never going to be a father, never going to be a mother,” he said. “Through the miracle of adoption, we now have three beautiful children. I view this as an opportunity not only to highlight the greatest rivalry in this part of the state, but also to give back to a way of life that has provided my family and I with so much.”
Mansfield Senior Athletic Director Skip Fulton stated they chose to benefit United Way of Richland County due to the number of services the organization provides to their students in both Mansfield and Madison.
“This is a great opportunity for us, both Mansfield and Madison, to give back to the communities that have supported us,” said Fulton. “When you look at it in terms of the connection people have to this rivalry, it really becomes intense in that sense that everybody has a personal connection to the rivalry. We look at it as a great chance to highlight that rivalry and take it to a different level, and make it not just about what’s happening on the field but what’s happening off the field.”
Dan Varn, Executive Director for United Way of Richland County, said the organization was incredibly grateful to be a beneficiary of the Spaghetti Bowl.
“Everybody is going to win here,” he said. “We are committed to continuing to improve the lives of the citizens of Richland County, and we want to continue to collaborate with more agencies in the area. An event like this is a great testimony to what that collaboration can do and the lives we can touch.”
Tickets for the spaghetti dinner will go on sale starting Monday, Aug. 25, the first week of football season. Advance tickets will be available at Wendy’s restaurants at 1145 Ashland Road in Madison Township and 1372 Lexington Avenue in Mansfield. Tickets will also be sold in advance at the United Way of Richland County offices at 35 Park Street North.
“If you’ve ever played or coached in a game that features Madison and Senior High it’s one filled with a lot of emotion and spirit,” said Conway. “It’s the best part of what I do every season. The opportunity to direct that emotion in a positive direction towards these two charities, you can’t go wrong.”
“Any time you can combine these charities that we’re playing for with the greatest rivalry in north central Ohio, it’s a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved,” said Head Coach Sean Conway of the Madison Rams.
