High school soccer team spends last day of summer giving back on National Senior Citizen’s Day

CHICAGO —  A Far Southeast Side soccer team spent the last day of summer break giving back on this National Senior Citizen’s Day.

Chicago Public School students head back to class Monday. Before they’re back in the classrooms, George Washington High School soccer players shuffled up their routine to spend the last day of summer break with the residents of Senior Suites of Hegewisch.

George Washington High School Senior, Samuel Cruz, was getting schooled by Joanne Goeringer, who will turn 102 in November.

“I enjoy living and doing things with young people. My great-grandchildren, they have a ball when they come to visit me,” Goeringer said.

George Washington High School soccer coach, Alvaro Perez, says it sometimes takes some convincing but it’s worth it in the end.

“A little bit of twisting their arm — there would be some pushback from the students but at the end of the day, they know this is how they make a difference,” Perez says. “They even make a connection,” Perez says.

Senior Angelo Williams bonded with Hegewisch resident Barry Waxler, who played soccer in 1960.

“It’s important since they’re our elderly, we got to take care of them, be respectful and just be with them,” Williams said.