Oakland Boys Turkey Bowl Celebrates 50 Years
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - On Thanksgiving Day 50 years ago, a group of Italian kids from Oakland played a football game at the Schenley Park Oval.
Many of them have returned to play every Thanksgiving Day since. Thursday's kickoff marked the 50th Annual Oakland Boys Turkey Bowl.
Mario Sciulli, Vince Casciato and Leo Pasquarelli hail from the Abruzzi region of Italy and have played in every game.
"We're American now," Sciulli says. "We can't play soccer. So, what else can we do? So, we started playing streetball, football."
"We went to St. Regis Grade School in Oakland," Casciato says. "And after school, we played football. Tough kind of sport. You know, you're young, you have the energy. You do things that you can't do right now."
"It's not so much about playing football," Pasquarelli says. "It's just getting together and having a good time. And that's what we do. Hopefully, nobody gets hurt."
Younger player Michael Milkowski proves you don't have to be Italian.
"Just a thing of all of us getting together, and that's it," Milkowski says.
The boys in blue were trailing. But for them, it's enough just to get here, year after year.
"Just get out of bed in the morning, put my socks on, and we just do it," Sciulli laughs.
Leo offers a toast of champagne, as players raise their glasses.
"Thanks for coming, and I love all you guys," he announces. "Cheers."
Next Thanksgiving, they will begin another 50 years.
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