Students from Merrimac, Waverly and Chippewa Elementary Schools gathered at Sachem High School North Friday evening for Sports Night, which is held to raise money for scholarships.
The festivities opened with the teachers, staff and students performing an introductory dance and cheer to get the crowd and in particular their school. Waverly performed to the Star Wars theme song. Merrimac clad in bunny ears and magician top hats performed to Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Jump On It" and Chippewa got down to the Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling."
The crowd responded loudly in support of their schools and host of the evening ... Superintendent James Nolan announced to the crowd that whenever he shouted "We Are" he wanted everyone to shout back "Sachem!"
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Nolan's ovations from the crowd aided the teachers from the three schools who were competing in various events, which included a hockey stick relay, a hula hoop game and a parachute game. A crowd favorite was pigs in a blanket in which teams flung rubber pigs into the air using a blanket repeatedly while another teammate stood a few feet away and tried to catch the flying pigs.
Sue Brandes, who oversees the event, has been doing it for 32 years. Though Friday evening's totals had not yet been tallied, she said last year they raised 58 $500 scholarships.
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The event occurs on four Fridays with three of the elementary schools attending each. The district's four middle schools also donate money for scholarships and all money raised from concessions and t-shirt sales also add to the total amount raised.
"I love this event because it is a community event, and it has a community feeling, it really brings everyone together," Brandes said. "When we're here, we are one community regardless of what school you are from or how far they are from each other, and that's what it is all about."
"This event is the most fun, most fantastic series of four events all year for everyone," said Dana Platin, a staff member at Chippewa Elementary and the President of SEPTA (Special Education PTA). "It's great because everyone in Sachem gets involved; there is no North, no East on these nights we're just Sachem.
"The event is infectious, it is a great time for everyone, the kids, the parents, the staff. For staff it's great because we get to come together with friends and staff from other schools and all have fun together."
A community night it was indeed. The night could be summed up in three simple words: We are - Sachem!
