The annual Turkey Bowl football game is a Thanksgiving Day tradition for Tony Dipaola and his family. 

“This is my 15th year playing. As I watch the family grow every Thanksgiving, I couldn’t think of doing anything else Thanksgiving morning,” said Dipaolo, who plays for the Bears.

The Bulls and the Bears faced off Thursday morning at Point Stadium in Johnstown for the 50th Annual Turkey Bowl.

“It’s a day of giving back, it’s a day of family and friends, celebration of our local hometown,” said Tim Clark, the Bears Coach and a member of the Turkey Bowl Booster Club.

The football game is more than just a friendly competition: each year the Turkey Bowl raises around $12-14,000 to help adults and kids with hearing and speech disabilities.

Money raised by the players benefits Easterseals of Western & Central Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that provides speech and hearing therapy and treatment.

“We have children who don’t talk, who eventually can talk to communicate their wants and needs. People with hearing losses can hear for the first time that they haven’t heard for a long time, or for the first time,” said Annette Shearman, the local division director for Easterseals.

Over the years, the Turkey Bowl has raised more than $500,000 for Easterseals.

“Their lives are better because of it,” said Bobby Gardill, the Bulls coach.

Although the Bears won bragging rights this year, players agreed it’s not about taking home the trophy.

“That’s why we’re out here: support the good cause. Easterseals is a great group and we’re here to support them,” said Anthony Pioli, a Bulls player.

“The fact that both teams raise the money for the Easterseals, we come together as one team when it comes to that and we love to be here and do it for the kids,” Dipaola said.