On Friday, September 7, at seven o’clock in the morning, West Ottawa students piled into the gym in hopes of getting their five seconds of fame. The students and staff dressed from head to toe in black and white to show off their school spirit on the live broadcast through Fox 17 News.
West Ottawa was the first school to participate in Food Fight Friday, an event to raise food donations for families in need. The program serves 83 Michigan counties where one in eight people struggle with food security. The food West Ottawa raised today will go directly into the hands of people that need it.
In order to encourage students to donate, Fox 17 created a competition for schools across West Michigan. The winner will get a trophy to display in their school as well as bragging rights, but for West Ottawa it’s not about the victory. “We are a winner no matter what. This isn’t about the weight of canned goods. It’s about giving to others and being able to come together as a school and show our pride,” Principal Jason Reinecke.
This morning, the school spirit in the gym was undeniable. The variety of clubs that came to the assembly demonstrated West Ottawa spirit. The band excited the crowd by playing tunes like “Sweet Caroline” and the West Ottawa Fight Song. The robotics team showed off their skills by carrying a cart of food with donations that came from students. Sr. Taylor Gilbert was driving the robot and was happy to be part of the event. “I think it’s a unique thing about our school we can show off while towing the food cart,” Gilbert said.
The varsity cheerleaders and football team brought the excitement as they prepared to face Rockford in a big game tonight. Players even got a chance to be interviewed live talking about the game.
Sr. Josiah Sondermann, Black Hole Leader, led the crowd in chants. “I like that I’m the one the administration comes to when they need someone to hype up the crowd. I expect a really big crowd at the game tonight too and a really great game,” Sondermann said.
Whether students got to participate in the assembly or they were represented by the donations they gave, this morning was a great way to come together as a school community. Go WO!