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Mounts look to connect with the community
- 15 August 2005
Band, cheerleaders will be part of revamped event
Using Manheim Central as the gold standard, anyone who spends any time roaming the sidelines of a high school football game knows how important it is to have the community behind its football team.With the though of trying to make that connection right form the get-go, the Ephrata Football Booster Club is looking to put some new twists on its annual kick-off event.
Thus, this year's "Meet The Mounts" event for the football team will see a major expansion to its evening agenda, offering something, they hope, for everyone. It is set for Aug. 25 beginning at 6:45 p.m at War Memorial Field.
"We want to make it more a community event," said Ken Summers one of the organizers from the booster club. We want to invite the whole community to come out and meet the Mounts—the entire football program—including junior high and midgets—the band and the cheerleaders.
The evening will actually start with the entire fall sports "Meet The Mounts' event in the high school cafeteria beginning at 6:00 At 6:30, the teams will go their own way with football, band and the cheerleaders heading to the War Memorial field for the 6:45 program.
"We wanted to make it more than just "Meet The Mounts"—we wanted to get more people involved," said Mike Gerhart, who is the chairman of the event.
He said the band and the cheerleaders—and everyone—has been very receptive to the idea. The concept of having the youngest players in the program—in both football and cheering—has also been praised as a great idea.
"No, I don't remember anything like this," said Summers, who grew up in the Ephrata football program. "I know the kids will like it and the little kids will like that they were included.
"We just want to get the whole community out and get excited about the start of the season," Summers continued.
In the past, the "Meet The Mounts" night was generally supported primarily by the parents of the players but with so many young people involved, and with performance by the band and cheerleaders, there should be enough to suit all tastes.
The agenda calls for the band to be playing as everyone enters War Memorial. There will be cheerleader introductions, followed by football booster club announcements. Then comes the individual football player introductions followed by Head Coach Ken Grove offering his philosophies and outlook for the season.
"The booster club has been extremely involved in getting 'Meet The Mounts' together with the cheerleaders and band," said Grove on Tuesday. "It should be a real neat event to display more than just football."
The band introductions will come next, followed by a performance preview. The cheerleaders will then offer some cheers followed by the running of some offensive and defensive plays. Then comes the introduction of the midget teams.
"It will be a great evening—with the midget football players it will really showcase the kids," Grove said. "This will be a great introduction for them as to what happens on a Friday night. They have really put together a program that shows what Friday's are all about."
Grove was asked about the impact he thinks it will have on the youngest players in the program.
"Anytime you step on the War with high school kids and the music playing ... the feeling you get with the chills going down your spine," he said. "They get to see them play on Friday nights but (here) they get to know who they are and what they are all about. It is a great night to showcase role models."
With all the players on the field, the plan is to have them all do "Mount Jacks" together before a time for mingling with the athletes at the field.
Grove said they are excited about the team they have coming back and anxious for the first game—at War Memorial Field—Friday, Sept. 2 against Manheim Township.
The War Memorial Field will have concessions available for the Aug. 25 event, and the booster club will be selling some of their clothing items. In the event of rain, the program would move into the gymnasium.
"This is something we would like to continue in the future," Gerhart said.
A future with the community hopefully behind them all the way.
We here at www.ephratamounts.com are proud sponsors of the Dodgeball for Diabetes tournament.