For the second straight year, Neenah High School’s Homecoming week will take on a bigger purpose, as events during the week will benefit the school’s Special Education Department in memory of a classmate.
The week, dubbed the “Momentum,” will take place Sept. 29-Oct. 3 in the memory of Alisha Haase, who would have been a senior this fall but was killed in a car accident on Aug. 30, just three days before the start of the school year. The event looks to raise funds in Alisha’s memory, while also building school pride among current students and alumni.
This year’s Homecoming week is a follow up to last year’s successful “Comeback” week that benefitted student Zavier Sims, who was battling a bacterial brain infection. Those events raised over $13,000. Many of the Neenah schools at the elementary and middle school level also participated in events last year and will be involved again in 2014.
“Like last year, this is all about a tremendous group of students who want to benefit our community,” said Principal Brian Wunderlich. “These students saw an opportunity to use homecoming as a way to build school spirit by organizing events and raising money in the memory of one of their classmates.”
The week will begin with an outdoor movie as “Finding Nemo” will be shown at dusk in the main parking lot of Neenah High School on Mon., Sept. 29. The lot will open at 6:15 p.m. A “powder puff” football game between a team of junior and senior girls and a female staff team will be held at Rocket Stadium on Wed., Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. Both events will be free admission with money raised through selling concessions and passing a donation bucket.
The annual Homecoming parade will wind through downtown Neenah starting at 5 p.m. and will be followed by a tailgate party outside Rocket Stadium that starts at 5:30 p.m. All proceeds from the tailgate party will raise money for the Momentum. The tailgate party will be followed by the Homecoming football game against Oshkosh North at 7 p.m. Students will conduct a “Miracle Minute” at the game on by passing donation buckets through the bleachers at halftime.
“I’m awed by the giving spirit of our students,” Wunderlich said. “I didn’t think last year’s event could be topped and this year is shaping up to be just as special.”
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