Community Corner

[Photos] West Hartford Community Unites Under the Lights

Macca tailgate raises more than $2,000 for Foodshare, as people return to West Hartford for the big rivalry game.

Yes, Hall High won the Mayor’s Cup game by defeating Conard 35-7 on Friday evening.

But the real winner was the West Hartford community, which celebrated having the 57th annual installment of the rivalry game under the lights for the first time.

Current and former residents clad in blue and red were seen taking part in the Macca family tailgate, devouring pre-game burgers, hotdogs, wings and chili.

Find out what's happening in West Hartfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For the third consecutive year, proceeds for the fundraiser - which were anticipated to be at least $2,300 - will be donated to Foodshare.

And while the game was certainly the main attraction, there was a camaraderie between the fans, regardless of whether they were wearing Conard red or Hall blue.

Find out what's happening in West Hartfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Rick Pond, a member of the Hall High Class of 1974, said that townwide sports programs, which blended the kids from both schools beginning in the 1970s, turned the rivalry from bitter to friendly.

“It’s a wonderful rivalry,” former Hall running backs coach Malcolm Casway agreed. “After the game is over, they’re all brothers.”

The Hall-Conard game has now turned into an event where people come back to West Hartford for one night and reminisce, Pond said.

The addition of lights to both McKee Stadium at Conard and Chalmers Stadium at Hall will only enhance the experience for everyone, according to Bob Macca, who co-chaired Unite for Light, the organization that spearheaded the effort to illuminate both fields.

“I am so excited about tonight,” Macca said. “The lights are everything we hoped for. I’m so happy for the Hall and Conard parents and seniors. To get this done this year is phenomenal.”

Steve Fisher, also a co-chair on Unite for Light, agreed.

“It’s fantastic,” Fisher said. “I had no idea it would come together this quickly.”

Much of the credit, according to state Sen. Beth Bye, goes to several Conard students who canvassed the school’s neighborhood to see whether nearby residents would accept having lights installed at McKee Stadium.

“The reason why we are here is because of [those] Conard students,” said Bye, who added that she would not have been able to secure state funding if the neighbors had not acceded to the lights.

Bye said that having a group of kids canvass a neighborhood isn’t too surprising.

“In West Hartford, that’s just part of the culture,” she said.

From there, it was a combination of the state and local government as well as dedicated volunteers that made the entire thing possible.

The end result is people like Alex Russell, Hall Class of ‘08, returning to West Hartford from Washington, D.C., to watch her brother, Patrick, play on the varsity team for the first time.

“How can I not come?” she asked rhetorically.

Check out the photos of some of the action that took place before the game and away from the field.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here