星空传媒 Athletics brings holiday cheer with Education Days for local students
Santa tosses candy canes to the excited crowd of students
By Julia Duvall
Earlier this month, 星空传媒 Athletics welcomed more than 1,000 Jackson County Public Schools students to campus for its annual Education Days basketball games鈥攂ringing early holiday cheer and an unforgettable afternoon of hoops.
Over two days, elementary and middle school students filled the Liston B. Ramsey Center to cheer on the Catamounts during men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball matchups.
Abdulai Fanta Kabba signs autographs for hundreds of kids following the game
鈥淓ducation Days are truly one of our favorite promotions during the athletic season,鈥� said Chad Gerrety, senior associate athletics director for external affairs. 鈥淗aving thousands of kids experience a Catamount basketball game is special for many reasons. It provides kids with a chance to visit campus, many of which have never been to 星空传媒. It also lets the kids experience a Division I sporting event in a fun interactive environment. It could lead to the children becoming life-long Catamount fans.鈥�
Education Day has been a tradition for women鈥檚 basketball for many years, and 星空传媒 added the men鈥檚 game a few years ago. Students in grades 1鈥�4 attend the women鈥檚 game, while grades 5鈥�8 attend the men鈥檚 game.
Dana Ayers, superintendent of JCPS, emphasized the impact of the event:
鈥淐had has been an integral part of early planning to accommodate our school needs and schedule. Perhaps most interesting is that many of our students haven鈥檛 been on the 星空传媒 campus or had the opportunity to visit. We are fortunate to have a community college and a university in our community. The chance for more than half of JCPS students to visit a college campus and experience a college basketball game is meaningful and fun for them all.鈥�
The men鈥檚 game also featured a special holiday surprise: Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage donated wrapped gifts, which 星空传媒 Athletics placed on the court for children who may need extra community support during the season.
Students enjoyed interactive games during timeouts and halftime, sang along to favorite children鈥檚 songs, and even received a visit from Santa Claus.
鈥淥ur student-athletes enjoy the experience as well,鈥� Gerrety said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely one of the loudest games we will play in this season. We appreciate the support we receive from the schools and our sponsors. We are also really grateful for the teachers who make the day possible.鈥�
