By Kathy Onorato
It was all about school spirit and community pride Jan. 31, as nearly 300 students, teachers, parents, and community members came together at Wiscasset High School to formally kick off the School Spirit Challenge.
An energetic Wiscasset High School student body welcomed WGME’s Jeff Peterson to Wolverine nation Jan. 31 at 5 a.m. (Kathy Onorato photo) |
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The occasion was an energizing pep rally hosted by WGME 13’s morning anchor Jeff Peterson.
Wiscasset High School is one of eight schools competing in the second round of the School Spirit Challenge, a competition between schools throughout Maine to show school and community spirit while collecting food to help feed the hungry. WGME 13, and Maine’s Credit Unions sponsors the challenge, which benefits the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Lewiston. The school collecting the most pounds of food will be declared the winner and awarded the Spirit Cup sometime in early March.
The packed high school gym was filled with faithful Wolverines and their followers wearing red and black and many had their faces painted and ready to make some noise.
Tim Flanagan, a 37-year veteran math teacher at Wiscasset High School, known as “Flan” among students, was the lead cheerleader and got the crowd started. “He is one of the oldest teenagers I know,” said Deb Pooler, the event organizer.
It was a typical pep rally with cheerleaders, dancing, the school band and shouting and screaming. However this pep rally began at 5 a.m. and was televised live on WGME 13.
Along with the Wiscasset High School family of students, staff and parents, the town’s fire, ambulance, police departments, town officials and members of the business community came and supported the event.
“Who needs coffee with all this energy?” asked Jay Reith, the Wolverine’s public announcer. “This is good stuff.”
However, coffee and pastries were provided by Sarah’s Café. Dunkin’ Donuts sent in 25 dozen donuts to help keep the energy up. Sarah’s Café will also be donating a portion of its February soup sales to the challenge.
Big Al’s owner, Al Cohen, who showed up to the pep rally with several cases of snacks to donate to the cause said, “I didn’t know there was two five o’clocks in one day.”
Peterson told Cohen the commercial for Big Al’s is one of his favorites on WGME 13.
“Route 1 Wiscasset, home of the Wolverine’s,” replied Cohen.
The Wiscasset High School girls basketball team celebrates the team’s win over Boothbay during the high school’s pep rally Jan. 31. (Kathy Onorato photo) |
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Pooler said the support of the community has been overwhelming. Many other businesses and organizations have already made contributions to the school including: Wiscasset Ford, Maine Imaging, Damariscotta Hardware, Abbott Inc., Wiscasset Fire Department, Wiscasset Ambulance, Wiscasset Shaw’s, Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, Molnlycke Health Care, Roadhouse Restaurant, Ames True Value Supply, Karl Olson & Associates, Wiscasset Middle School, Hannaford (Damariscotta), Metcalf Subs (Damariscotta), Hill Top Stop (Damariscotta) and numerous members of the community and alumni.
“It is my hope to get many more businesses to support WHS and its quest to win the challenge and help those in need at the same time,” Pooler said.
Thursday, Feb. 6, the Wiscasset McDonald’s will sponsor a McTeacher’s Night. WHS teachers and students will be working at McDonald’s from 4 to 7 p.m. and McDonald’s will donate a portion of the profits made during that time to the WGME School Spirit Challenge for Wiscasset High School.
“I hope people come out for a meal and support a great cause,” Pooler said.
Maine’s Credit Unions spokesperson Katy Robinson said she was pleased so many teens are involved in the efforts of raising hunger awareness throughout Maine via the Spirit Cup Challenge.
“I am thrilled to see so many people involved; couldn’t ask for anything better,” Robinson said. Pointing to the food collection table, she said, “No matter what becomes of the contest, this is something to be proud of.”
Good Shepherd Food Bank representative Becky Wright told the audience 15 percent of Mainers are hungry. “One out of every four children are affected by hunger,” she said. “The food you have collected will make a difference.”
Wiscasset is off to a good start. A mid-challenge tally has Wiscasset High School’s collection at about 25,000 pounds of food, which includes cash donations converted to pounds of food. For every dollar donated, the school is credited with five pounds of food.
Peterson said Biddeford, a much large school than Wiscasset, won the last challenge, collecting 42,000 pounds.
Peterson said some of the schools competing against Wiscasset have enrollments of over 1000 students, but added Wiscasset should not worry.
“Sometimes smaller schools have more pride and community than the larger schools,” Peterson said. The third place finisher in the last challenge was Old Orchard Beach, a school with an enrollment close to Wiscasset’s. Old Orchard Beach gathered 16,013 pounds.
Peterson offered three tips to win the challenge: turnout for the pep rally, donate the heaviest items possible and collect lots of cash.
According to Peterson, WGME is very involved in the community and assists with many causes. Seeing a need for food assistance in Maine, WGME teamed up with the Good Shepherd Food Bank and began the School Spirit Challenge.
“We wanted to do something really big,” he said.
Peterson said he and his crew has a lot of fun visiting high schools and doing these pep rallies. “We wish that when we were in high school, we had something like this,” Peterson said.
Pooler is confident Wiscasset can win the challenge and appreciates all the community support so far. Although the pep rally is over, Wiscasset still has work to do, she said. Donations will be accepted until Feb. 28.
For more information on how to help, contact Pooler at the school at 882-7722.
