PVMHS Football Donates to Haven from Hunger

As the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School football team gets ready for its biggest game in years on Friday night, there are many reasons to be proud of the players, coaches, and cheerleaders.

But even more important than the team’s return to gridiron prominence is the role the team has taken as leaders in the community.

That leadership was on display on Thursday morning as the team donated a check for $1,100 to Peabody food pantry Haven from Hunger.

During last weekend’s playoff game against Malden, the team donated $1 from each of the 1,100 tickets sold to Haven from Hunger.

Haven from Hunger Executive Director Anne Strong was one of several people who praised the team for being leaders in the community.

“Your support means a lot,” she said. “You are leaders in the school and role models, and that means the world to us and to the city.”

Strong said Haven from Hunger serves as many as 100 local families per day who are in need.

Mayor Ted Bettencourt talked about the team as a prime example of Peabody pride, both in its recent playoff run and in its desire to help others in the community.

“You are role models and people look up to you, not just in the high school but also in the elementary schools,” said Bettencourt. “This brings a great deal of pride to me as a mayor and to the people of the community.”

Superintendent Herb Levine also told the players and cheerleaders that they are source of pride in the community and thanked coach Mark Bettencourt for helping bring the team back to prominence.

On Friday night, Peabody takes on perennial state powerhouse Everett in a Division 1 North playoff game at home at 7 p.m.