Dallas Cowboys Super Fans treat nursing home residents to ice cream social

By EMERALD BENTLEY
Cove Leader-Press

It’s all about the star…and ice cream! Sunday the Copperas Cove Nursing and Rehabilitation Center enjoyed an afternoon ice cream social with Dallas Cowboys Super Fans. 
Blue and white streamers and stars hung from the common room where everyone gathered in anticipation. As the Super Fans entered the room residents began to clap and cheer. Some even recognized and remembered group members from the year before.
How could anyone forget them, as they were dressed in Cowboys gear from head to toe? Donned with jerseys, hats, sunglasses, and even chaps, the fans began to scoop and serve ice cream with all the fixings. 
“The costumes and the football rivalries are the resident’s favorite part. They love joking and laughing together,” said Denise Dabney, activities coordinator for the center.
The annual event is in its second year and becoming more and more popular with residents who have been eagerly looking forward to it.
“Community outreach is a big part of what we do. Not only during the football season, but in the off season as well,” said Nicole Vess, member of the Pro Football Ultimate Fan Association.
PFUFA is a nonprofit organization that contains fan representation from all 32 NFL teams. Each fan group can choose their own local charities to work with but are also part of a larger charity event in Ohio that benefits the Boys and Girls Club of America. 
“We work with Coryell County Rainbow Room, Jonathan’s Place in Dallas, the Salvation Army and much more,” said Vess.
Being a Dallas Cowboy’s Super Fan and volunteering knows no age limit. Matt Franco and his son, Mateo Jr., worked together to serve ice cream to each resident.
“The first day he came home from the hospital the Dallas Cowboys played at home against the Eagles and he has been a fan since birth,” said Franco. 
Franco went on to talk about how the outreach portion of their group’s mission was his favorite part to do with his son. 
When asked what inspired the group to begin the event Vess said, “We’ve got to give back to the community. The seniors have done their part already and they get forgotten a lot and we are just trying to brighten their day a little bit.”
Brighten their day is exactly what they did. Residents thoroughly enjoyed multiple bowls of ice cream and the company of all those in attendance. After all the ice cream was devoured, residents and Super Fans stuck around to visit and for pictures.
The local PFUFA’s next event at the center will be a tailgate party in the Fall where they will cook hotdogs and hamburgers and watch a Dallas Cowboys game together.