50171
by Keith Brake
Here’s another reason you’re lucky you live in Montezuma: The Homecoming tradition, revived this week for 2022.
Homecoming is not what it used to be in many locales, but appears to alive and well here.
The events change a bit year to year – but maybe that’s part of adapting to the times.
There’s still a parade, a football game, a dance, a community pep rally and special events at the school during the week.
There are opportunities for most in the community to participate, and many do.
I didn’t graduate from Montezuma, but my high school did many of the same activities. I particularly enjoyed building floats.
Yes, we had a parade, which was also a favorite during my time in Montezuma. I used to say that more people were in the parade than watched it!
Think about it – parade starts at 2:45 or so, parents aren’t home from work yet – but it gives school officials a chance to put just about every student in the parade.
Back in the day, I videotaped the parade for airing on Local Channel 3.
One year, some little kids approached my broadcast site and shouted words I was surprised had found their way into their young vocabularies!
After that, I made sure I telecast at least that part of the parade from a distance – or a height. I did a couple parades from the second floor of the Montezuma State Bank building. It was raining and I supposed to keep the camera dry.
This year, it has gotten busy in the schools and Montezuma.
Labor Day came and went and already the Braves had played three football games!
I can remember when school didn’t START until AFTER Labor Day (too hot, are you kidding?). And football season extended into November.
In fact, we always played the rival town on Veterans Day, sometimes in the snow.
But that wasn’t homecoming, and today, THAT would be a playoff game.
Next thing you know, it’ll be Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas! And those last two are “homecoming” events for sure!
Our Students vs. Cancer
During the week of Sept. 4, the Montezuma Schools’ softball program donated $4,000 to the Colon Cancer Coalition.
“We raised $2,000 from t-shirt sales and inning sponsors, etc.,” said Coach Jeremy Van Zee. “Pella Corp. matched our donation, bringing the total to $4,000 donated to help bring awareness about Colon Cancer and research.”
Great work by all!
There’s more . . .
During the week of Sept. 2, the cheerleaders put on a “Childhood Cancer Awareness Night” together with their Rah-Rah Rookies performance at the high school football game.
During the game, the “Cheerleaders In Training” performed at halftime while wearing gold tattoos on their cheeks and a gold ribbon in their hair.
After their performance, the varsity cheerleaders went through the crowd with a “pass the bucket” effort, and they raised more than $1,000 for a local family to help support needs they may have during their two-year-old son’s fight against Leukemia.
Great job, cheer squads!