Alaska's senior football players gathered at the Dome for one last game

Senior football players from across Alaska met at the Dome in Anchorage for one more game after the high school season ended.

The Al Aska Shriners Football Classic took place Nov. 1, organized by the Alaska chapter of the Shriners masonic society. The event marked its 50th anniversary and raised money to help Alaskan children, including those in remote villages, get medical care through Shriners Hospitals for Children. Mark Hartz, vice president of the Shriners Hospitals for Children board, said the money helps kids get care they might not otherwise be able to reach. "It's absolutely incredible," Hartz said. "Shriners Hospitals for Children started in 1922 with our hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana. So for nearly half of the organization's life, there have been young men here in Alaska playing football to help an organization provide care for kids."

Representatives from dozens of teams across all four levels of football competition were reshuffled into new teams for the game. The mixed rosters let players meet opponents they would not normally play with. "I was stoked," said Phoenix Goolsby of Soldotna, recalling when he learned he had been selected. "Like, man, stuff gets real on the field, but [off] the field, we're good friends. Just being with your good friends on the same team, it's nice."

North Pole's David Hollett said he was excited to play one more game with his teammates and meet new people. "It's nice to be in an environment where everybody's kind of at the same skill level," he said. North Pole head coach Michael Hollett, one of the coaches for the mixed teams, has participated for eight years. "Every time coming down and hearing the stories and seeing the kids and seeing this group of people that are just so committed to helping others in their community is what's really special," he said.

Hartz said Shriners Hospitals for Children provides care for children in rural areas and within the Alaska Native population.