By Lisa Stukel, Contributing Writer
Westborough – Fall holds different meanings for different people. It could be the coming of cooler days to some, while others think of football. Last fall, Westborough offensive lineman Max Silverman had more on his mind than clearing a path for his quarterback. He was thinking about the troops serving our country overseas.
During his freshman year, Max was given a writing assignment and the theme was, “If you were given $1,000 to make a difference in your community, what would you do?” He came up with an idea to honor veterans and troops currently serving in the military called, “Touchdown for America.” During his fall football season, Max collected items during home games and began assembling them into care packages to send to the troops. The items included Chapstick, beef jerky, band-aids, toothbrushes, Ziploc bags, socks, CDs, T-shirts, playing cards, soap, baby wipes and many others. The program was well received and with the support of the Westborough community, Max was able to collect thousands of dollars worth of donations that were packaged and sent to the troops.
Max's interest in the military is deeply rooted within his own family explained his mother, Debbi.
“Both of Max's grandfathers were military veterans,” she said. “His Poppa Stan served in the Army in WWII and remained on active duty for Korea, and his papa served in the Air Force in Vietnam. His great grandfather, also named Max Silverman, served in the U.S. army during WWI. Max has a tremendous amount of respect for the men and women in uniform, understanding that their presence and actions overseas preserve our freedoms here at home.”
“I wanted to give back,” Max said. “The supplies that we sent to the troops made their lives easier.”
Today, Max is still actively involved in the program as he continues to meet with groups that have sponsored his efforts, including the Rotary Club of Westborough, Westborough Athletic Association and In Your Shoes.
Max would like to see Touchdown for America continue throughout his next two years of high school and even after he graduates.
“Ultimately, I would like to find a senior football player to keep the program going after I leave,” he said. “I would also like to see this program spread to other communities as well.”
Max plans to speak to Westborough's athletic director before he approaches other schools about this idea.
“I would like to see other schools participating in the program because it is a nice way to help make the troops” lives easier and to honor our veterans,” he added.
Max was deeply moved by the whole experience. He received positive feedback from the troops who received the packages when they returned home.
“I am happy that it was a huge success,” Max said. “It definitely helped me grow as a person and I realized that these people do so much for us, we should be doing something nice for them in return.”
