THE DAVE ALLISON MEMORIAL SOCCER GAME AND BBQ
Every year, the Hackley community honors coach Dave Allison at the Dave Allison Memorial Soccer Game and BBQ the night before Alumni Day. Former players and friends attend to remember Mr. A. and his contributions to women’s sports. Here, the Hackley Girls' Varsity Soccer team gets ready for their game against Fieldston. The team won 2 to 0.
At the Dave Allison Memorial Soccer Game, HAA President Christie Philbrick-Wheaton ’00 spoke about her former coach. “Every year, Mr. A. miraculously turned a random group of teenage girls into a family in a matter of weeks. Each year, that group had a slightly different dynamic, but we all have a hell of a handshake and share a common bond.” Christie is pictured at the game with Dick Hodgson ’51, former HAA President Bill Roberts ’75, and Head of School Michael Wirtz.
NATURE HIKE
A highlight of the day was the annual Nature Hike with biology teacher Tessa Johnson (left), which included a tour of the new orchard and apiary. James Pratt ’97 (right) joined to talk about the apiary. James and Carlo Essanason ’97, of Fly Honey Farms, have been working with Hackley on the hives. The orchard tour included time in the active Pollinator Garden and under the grape arbor built by Brendan DiStefano ’22. Tessa hopes to harvest our first apples in three to four years.
More than 50 alumni from the classes of 1972 - 2017 and friends joined the Nature Hike on the Buessow Trails. Biology teacher Tessa Johnson took hikers through the Deer Exclusion Zone and around Deer Pond. They stopped at the bird feeders to talk about bird watching, as many members of the tour were AFER (Advanced Forest Ecology Research) alumni. On the way to the Deer Exclusion Zone, they found ten redback salamanders and a young spotted salamander.
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