Fans and friends of Portage High School (PHS) came together today at the Homecoming Parade to wish their Indians good luck tomorrow against Chesterton, and to celebrate another great homecoming week in Portage!
Perfect weather in Northwest Indiana encapsulated a perfect evening of a community coming together to watch members of the community, school, and local organizations jaunt down Central Avenue on their way to Founders’ Square Park. Along the way participants passed out candy, waved to cheering attendees, and soaked in the community spirit that is at the essence of PHS’ Spirit Week and Homecoming Parade.
Click here to see all the photos from the 2015 Portage High School Homecoming Parade.
Lydia Gerike, a Senior at PHS, Student Body President, and participant in the parade was excited to show off the hard work she and her friends had put in into designing their float.
“It’s good to be here at the parade, it means everything is done and coming together,” said Gerike before the parade. “It’s just nice to see everyone in the community coming together tonight to celebrate. And, of course, to get ready for the game tomorrow.”
Gerike added the parade was a successful cap on a Spirit Week at PHS that kept the school filled with pride and ready for the big game, but also a week that brought the school together for causes much bigger than just a game.
“This week we had a Teachers vs. Teachers basketball game to support Pancreatic Cancer awareness,” Gerike said about the week. “The game went to support one of our Media Clerks, Mrs. Cohen, who was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, and also for a Freshman at the school who has Bone Cancer and wanted to donate the money to Riley Children’s Hospital.”
Out on the streets, attendees came for a number of reasons. Some of the younger ones came for the candy, their parents for the floats, and some to cheer on the football team as they marched down the streets.
But it was clear that no matter what the reason was, the underlying theme was to come out and celebrate Portage.
“We have been coming to all the parades,” said Tracey Carpenter of Portage.
“Like 102 of them,” her son Kollin responded. “102 of them.”
“Probably not 102,” Tracey added. “But I love how everyone out here comes together as a community. It’s just a good time, a fun time, and with all the other negative stuff going on in the world it’s just nice to get out here and have some fun.”
A fun time was what it was all about tonight. Pure fun. A great community supporting a great group of kids.
For those wanting to come out and support the Indians as they battle DAC rival Chesterton, game time is at 7:00 PM Friday (9/25) evening. Attendees are encouraged to bring a canned food to donate to the PHS Cheerleading Squad, who will be collecting them for the Portage Township Food Pantry before the game.