These 2012 Griffins cheerleaders have got it. Have you? Show yours Aug. 8!
WINNSBORO — Students all over the county can hear the loud ticking of the clock that means their summer is winding down and school is starting. Sports fans hear a different sound, like the last few seconds before the final buzzer.
Either way you look at it, the academic and athletic year is about to break loose. Those Friday night lights will soon be lit up, and I bet that FCHS tennis coach George “Bones” Boulware will have at least one midnight practice with his tennis team.
A group of Winnsboro merchants and others think the start of school and school sports is a big deal. They’re cranking up Spiritfest 2013 – an event they hope becomes an annual thing around here.
The Historic Winnsboro Merchants Group consists of local downtown merchants, the Chamber of Commerce and Town of Winnsboro Downtown Development, said group member Terry Vickers, the Chamber’s executive director.
Spiritfest 2013 “kicks off” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8, in front of the steps of the Fairfield County Courthouse on Congress Street.
The teams, coaching staffs and cheerleaders of Fairfield Central High School and Middle School and Richard Winn Academy are scheduled to appear during this event, which Vickers characterizes as “a mega pep rally for the 2013 academic and athletic year.”
Coaches from each school are expected to speak at Spiritfest, letting the audience in on some of their pre-season strategy.
Cheerleaders from the schools will also inspire the crowd with some cheers, said Vickers.
This is an opportunity that most school sports fans don’t get, said Vickers.
Spiritfest is a chance to let our students know that our community supports them, said Vickers. It’s a way to bring the teams from the public and private school together.
One way to show that support is a pep rally atmosphere centered on school sports, which everyone enjoys and in a lot of our community, peoples’ lives become centered around, said Vickers.
School sports loyalty can sometimes be rabid, but it has the ability to cross all boundaries – social, economic and racial. Everyone on the community loves to pull for the Griffins and the Eagles.
Spiritfest is the brainchild of the merchant’s group, Vickers said.
“The merchants we have downtown want to see a vibrant downtown, and as they produce new events, that’s going to bring people downtown,” she said. “These merchants are willing to stay open these extended hours, to allow these families and other visitors to see what downtown has to offer.”
The Beach Boys said it all: ‘Be True to Your School.’ Whether your heart is Vegas Gold and Black or Royal Blue and Gold, show your support on Aug. 8.
