The Laurier Golden Hawks are in the middle of training week as they gear up for a new season on the gridiron, but the team took a break on Thursday morning for a special event.

The team cheered on a group of young adults from the Lighthouse Program, doing drills as part of the training camp.

Lighthouse's adult day program supports individuals in the region with developmental disabilities.

Participants of the program look forward to being on the field every year.

"I think it makes them feel like everybody else in our community," says Heather Barrow, co-director of the program.

"Just being involved, being seen, being engaged in the community, doing things that everyone else wants to do, which is just being part of something really special."

First, they watched the practice before getting on the field themselves to face off.

After working up an appetite, the day ended with a lunch.

The Golden Hawks' coach tells CTV that it isn't just a special day for the participants: it's special for his players, too.