Above: Ziggy Hood teaches a student defensive moves. (Courtesy Urban Impact)

After a one-year hiatus, hundreds of Northside kids and families will once again swarm the Oliver High School football field for the Urban Impact Football Clinic, which brings Pittsburgh Steelers and the Northside community together for some fun activities, and of course football.

This free community event is exclusive to Northsiders, which means local kids in grades K-8 will have the full attention of Steelers players teaching football skills on the field.

This year will be bigger than ever as Urban Impact teams up with the transitioning Oliver and Perry High Schools for a Community Day and International Food Festival happening on-site before, during, and after the clinic’s on-field activities.

As the schools consolidate, this event will give students a chance to get to know each other well in advance of next school year. Kids of all ages can gear up for the climbing wall, don a sumo suit and challenge their friends to a match, or test their abilities outside of the classroom by dunking teachers in the dunk tank.

Then when they’re finished, they can browse the food festival for Italian, French, Japanese, Spanish and Mexican foods, all priced reasonably to encourage a sale, and for good reason: Proceeds will be split between the two schools and awarded to one student from each in the form of a scholarship. There will also be more than 20 community groups present with promotions, activities, and information for attendees.

The Football Clinic will take place from 5:30-8:30PM on Tuesday, June 5th. On-field participation in the clinic is open for grades K-8 and requires a signed waiver.

Parents may register their children on the day of the event.

-by Jessica Whipple