Sisters enjoyed a day to remember
Last weekend we welcomed two very special mascots to Priestfield Stadium to join us for the Rochdale match.
Thanks to the work of the Free Kicks Foundation, we were able to offer two sisters the opportunity to become mascots for the day. The Free Kicks Foundation are a charity who aim to provide football-related activities for ill, bereaved or disadvantaged children, to give them a day to remember with their favourite football club.
Sisters Hannah and Jessica were nominated for the experience by local bereavement support charity Holding On Letting Go. The stadium holds a special significance for the girls as their late father was a Gills season ticket holder, and the family used to go to the games together.
On the day, the girls and their family were welcomed to Priestfield Stadium to join us for the full mascot experience, including a tour and a chance to meet the team. First things first though, both girls were provided with a full Gills kit to ensure they looked the part!
Once they were all kitted out, the girls were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium. First stop was the players’ changing room, where they got to meet all of the team, and get autographs and photos with some of their favourite players.
They then took a trip to Match Control where they met our match-day announcer and put in their predictions for the game. After that, it was back across the stands to our comfy executive seats and a birds-eye view of the whole pitch. After a trip to our Legends Lounge, the girls then got a sneak peek of our magical Winter Wonderland set up in the Great Hall, which both girls agreed was their favourite part of the tour!
After touring the whole stand, there was still time for a kick-about on the pitch alongside the teams warming up. Our lucky mascots then proudly led out the Gills, accompanying their favourite players Bradley Dack and Cody McDonald, before settling down with their family to watch the game.
And it seems like the girls were a lucky charm for the Gills too – both sisters predicted a Gillingham win and clean sheet before the game, and they were proved right, with the Gills winning 3-0 to round off a truly fantastic day!
Thank you again to the Free Kicks Foundation for offering this mascot package, and to Holding On Letting Go for nominating the family for the special opportunity.
To find out more about the Free Kicks Foundation, visit www.freekicksfoundation.org, or find them on Twitter @FreeKicks. You can also help to support the fantastic work they do by donating online at www.justgiving.com/freekicks.
To find out more about the support that Holding On Letting Go provides to local families, visit www.holdingonlettinggo.org.uk, or find them on Twitter @holgkent. You can also donate to support their important work at mydonate.bt.com/charities/holdingonlettinggo.