One by one, the student groups of Owens Middle School came out, waving the banners that showed what they represented.
That was the way the first Owens Fan Fest kicked off on Sept. 18.
'We are so proud of all of our students that you saw recognized here tonight, whether they represent Owens on the field, on the court, through music, academics, our leadership organizations, our student clubs—they are all Chaparrals, and tonight we are celebrating them,' Principal Pamela Foster said. Foster, who was celebrating and dancing along with the attendees throughout the night, said she was so grateful for the work the Owens Parent Teacher Organization poured into the event and that they continuously give to the school.
'Our PTO has worked so hard,' she said. 'They love us enough to give their time and their talents to bring this together, and [we thank] our families for coming out.'
She highlighted the importance of having places for the students to have fun together safely, which was a part of the focus of the night as well, with $5 buying the kids admission to the on-campus football field for games manned by volunteers from the PTO and the Junior Beta Club.
'We need to have a safe place for our kids to go and enjoy being a kid,' Foster said. 'And this is it. ... I want Owens to be that place where they all come because they know they feel safe here.'
Owens PTO President Kaitlin Sparks said it 'means the world' to put on such an event to bring the students, their families, the staff and local vendors together.
'What we're doing here is to make sure that we are creating a community and an involvement for all of the students,' she said. 'It's exciting. It's motivating. This whole thing is to get parents and teachers and kids all involved into the community.'
Sheena LeMay-Nelssen serves not only as the Owens PTO vice president but also as one of its teachers.
'It is a huge opportunity to get to know my students' families, get to know all the new families coming in,' she said. 'I think this is an excellent opportunity to showcase our students and the extracurriculars that they do and just being able to support these small businesses that ... I definitely support and am part of.'
She also said the kids showed their excitement with the way they behaved before running out to represent their teams, organizations and clubs.
'They were excited and pumped up,' LeMay-Nelssen said, adding a thank you to the band directors. 'The band teachers made all the signs for us.'
Both Sparks and LeMay-Nelssen were thrilled with the turnout, and they hope Fan Fest will become an annual tradition.
Sparks said the turnout was estimated at around 250300 people.
'We're hoping to continue this tradition going forward,' she said.
Ashley Strange, who was there as both a mom and a vendor with her business, Sparkle and Spirit Co., said she was also excited about the participation.
'There's a huge turnout,' she said. 'A lot of families are here. The kids are having so much fun. I love being here.'
