SLIDESHOW: Jeffren Peraza, center with a sign, contacting college football teams to help him teach a free football class at Rich May Memorial Field in East Palo Alto on July 10, 2021. Courtesy of Thiebaut Method .

Children practice soccer in a free class at Rich May Memorial Field in East Palo Alto on July 10, 2021. Courtesy of The Thiebaut Method.

Jeffren Peraza, second from right, hosted a free community football class at Rich May Memorial Field in East Palo Alto on July 10, 2021. Courtesy of Thiebaut Method.

A handful of organizations donated equipment for a free soccer lesson at Rich May Memorial Field in East Palo Alto on July 10, 2021. Courtesy of Thiebaut Method.

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In the latest Round Town column, news of a third-grader sharing his love for football with the community and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s virtual tour of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory last week.

TO REACH A GOAL… There is nothing quite like the euphoria of playing football, which recently brought professional players to the Euro 2020 tournament which Italy won on July 11. Jeffren Peraza helped bring local sports fans together in East Palo Alto on July 10 for a free football class hosted by Thiebaut method, a non-profit organization that works with low-income youth on projects of social interest.

The event brought together about fifty people Rich May Memorial Field for an afternoon that demonstrated the fundamentals of soccer and the benefits of physical activity. In a video leading up to the class, Jeffren showcased the skills participants would learn in the class, including hitting, kicking, passing, and dribbling obstacles. He has also established links with businesses and colleges in the region. Willow football in Menlo Park and Professional football in Redwood City came with donations of equipment. Members of Stanford Women’s Football, San José State University Men’s Football, University Men’s Soccer, The Reikes Center and East Palo Alto United Soccer Club came to help teach the class.

“I did it because (football) is my passion and I love it, and I wish everyone liked it too,” Jeffren said in a post-event video.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER … the National Laboratory of SLAC Accelerators operated by Stanford University welcomed the energy secretary Jennifer granholm, albeit virtually, on July 8. For two hours on Zoom, she contacted staff and took a look at the research facilities at Menlo Park. Granholm also toured the lab’s Linac coherent light source x-ray laser, toured the Extreme Matter Experimental Station which is used to test high temperatures and pressures in materials, and saw the largest world’s digital camera for astronomy, according to a press release SLAC. Staff also gave presentations on machine learning, quantum technology, and climate science.