JFM Huddles Together with Football Alumni Club
by
Stu Slayen | Mar 19, 2019
For Al Greenberg, football is about teamwork, friendship, and building a solid foundation for the rest of your life. Today, Greenberg and his North Winnipeg Nomads teammates from over 30 years ago are doing their part to build a foundation for today’s young players.
Greenberg and other alumni formed an association less than a year ago and decided to open an endowment fund at the Jewish Foundation to support graduating Nomad players as they pursue post-secondary education or a trade.
“It’s fun to get together and swap old stories, but to what end?” says Greenberg, who serves as Co-Chair of the Rady JCC Ken Kronson Sports Dinner. “We felt it was our responsibility to help today’s players move forward after high school. Let’s give a hand every year to someone who needs a hand.”
JFM Director of Development & Gift Planning, Rob Berkowits (a former Nomad), explained how the Foundation could support the effort. The JFM promotes the Nomads Alumni Fund on its website, collects donations, and issues charitable receipts to donors. The fund currently holds $2,500. Once it reaches $10,000, the alumni can distribute the income it earns annually as a scholarship or bursary. Greenberg expects that they will break through the $10,000 threshold after a Nomads 50th anniversary dinner this fall.
“This makes good sense for us,” says Greenberg, who works as a property manager. “Our alumni association is not a charitable organization, but by working with the Jewish Foundation like this we can achieve our goals.”
From the age of 14 through his university years, Greenberg was an offensive lineman with the Nomads, the University of Jamestown (North Dakota), the Winnipeg Hawkeyes, and the University of Manitoba Bisons. He coached football when his son Zach started to play, and is still the offensive line coach at Grant Park High School. His five years with the Nomads represent a very special time in his life when he built enduring friendships.
“It didn’t matter if you were Jewish, Ukrainian, or Indigenous. You were a Nomad,” says Greenberg, who grew up in Garden City and attended Talmud Torah, Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate, and Camp Massad. “You were brothers with one goal in mind—to win a championship.”
To contribute to the Nomads Alumni Fund, click here.