Lopez Pep Squad plans to boost school spirit

Something has been missing from the Lopez’s School sporting events. School chants, Lobo colors and overall school spirit. Well, if the new Lopez Pep Squad has its way, every Lopez resident will know and love the maroon and gold.

It started as the Pep Club last year, under the supervision of co-coach Roberta Vaughn. Vaughn works at Lopez School as a special services teacher’s aide. She wanted to do something positive in the school and for the community, said co-coach Stephanie Fowler.

This year the Pep Club girls wanted to pick it up a step, says Fowler. So, this June they changed themselves into the Pep Squad and have earnestly begun fund raising. The girls are April Holland, Carli Clark, Dannyl Davidson, Lisa Vaughn, Nichole Ramon and Randi Ritchie.

The six girl squad ranges from seventh to eleventh grade.

The Pep Squad’s first step is to raise enough money this summer to purchase uniforms and pom-poms.

Saturday July 26 was their first fund raiser, a bake sale in front of the fire hall. “Two of the girls baked all day Friday,” said Fowler. The sale was so well received the girls ran out of everything, including the barbecued hot dogs.

Their next fund raiser will be an Aug. 10 bake and rummage sale at Islandale Store. The girls have been collecting donations for several weeks.

Pep squads are nothing new to Fowler, who holds an accounting position at Lopez School. She was a cheerleader from junior high until she graduated high school. She was the class mascot her senior year. Fowler also coached the Friday Harbor cheerleading team for a season.

“The goal of the Pep Squad is to support not only the high school and middle school athletics, but the activities as well,” said Fowler. The squad wants to support events the drama and music club sponsor, as well as other school clubs.

Fowler wants the girls to get out and be seen and heard. Fowler feels that getting the “spirit leaders” connected with the Lopez community will in turn connect the community with the school.

The Friday Harbor cheerleading squad will be coming to Lopez Aug. 6 to share its knowledge with the Pep Squad. They will be spending the day learning chants and routines from the more experienced Friday Harbor team. The girls will also learn the Spirit Dance.

This is a routine that many cheer and pep squads know. The Pep Squad and the opposing team’s squad will perform the routine together at games It’s a way of showing positive sportsmanship, says Fowler.

The girls would ultimately like to bring school spirit to Lopez’s sporting events. Decorating the gym with players’ numbers and names, organizing pep rallys, and creating Lobo fever in the community are all part of the pep squad’s plan. They would also like to liven up the Homecoming festivities.

—Amanda Leidig is a staff reporter for islandsssounder.com and The

Islands’ Sounder. She can be reached at (360) 376-4500 or

email.

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