An exciting week will culminate this weekend (Friday/Saturday Sept. 27-28) as Huntington High School celebrates its annual Homecoming festivities. The weekend will include the traditional Friday night float building, a noon parade on Saturday, a 2 p.m. football game and an evening dance for students.
Plenty of Huntington alums of all ages are expected to return to their alma mater and join the fun as they renew friendships and relive their high school years. Interest has been quietly building as graduates and current students develop their plans for the weekend.
The parade will kick-off on Saturday at 12 p.m. and proceed through the heart of Huntington Village, down Main Street to New York Avenue and then south to the Big H Shopping Center and up Holdsworth Drive to the high school.
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Students, parents and faculty members from every building in the district will be marching in the parade. Huntington Foundation members will be there, too, promoting public education and discussing what the organization is all about with anyone willing to listen.
A decades-long tradition will continue as the parade will include four colorful class floats, the Blue Devil marching band, cars carrying members of the Royal Court, trucks ferrying hundreds of students and untold numbers of marchers, including Principal Dr. Carmela Leonardi, Superintendent James W. Polansky, members of the Huntington School Board and the district’s administrative corps, individual school PTAs and teachers from across the district. The creative class floats will later be put on display near the football field following the parade.
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The afternoon varsity football game pits the undefeated Blue Devils against rugged Amityville. Halftime activities will include the crowning of the homecoming king and queen, performances by the Blue Devil marching band and the Highsteppers, the school’s competitive dance team and an announcement of the winning class float entry.
No tickets are required for the football game. Admission is free. Kick-off is set for 2 p.m. The Huntington Booster Club will be selling food, refreshments and an assortment of Blue Devil apparel items throughout Saturday’s football game.
A Friday afternoon pep rally at the school is planned. Coaches will introduce their players to the full student body. Some teams intend to perform short skits, where costume pieces and go out there way to display their Blue Devil pride. Marching band and color guard members will be set-up on the north side of the gym and perform during the pep rally.
“Homecoming is the event that involves the greatest number of students,” Dr. Leonardi said. “Grade levels have been working hard to prepare for float building and have been reaching out to as many classmates as possible to be involved in the final construction of their float. Friday night activities are fun and generate a lot of enthusiasm.”
Students will be busy Friday night, putting the finishing touches on their class floats. Seniors began working on their float more than a month ago as part of a determined effort to win top honors. Following their practices, varsity and JV football players are expected to attend a traditional team dinner organized by parents in the school cafeteria.
Now in his third year as superintendent, Mr. Polansky has made it a point to encourage the entire school community to participate in Homecoming Day. “It is a day to celebrate the past, present and future of our dynamic school community,” Mr. Polansky said. “It is also the culmination of an eventful week at Huntington High School, featuring unparalleled and contagious school spirit, excitement and camaraderie.”
The 2012 Homecoming Day parade had an estimated twice as many participants as the 2011 march, with hundreds of elementary school students turning out. Even more are expected on Saturday.
“I encourage every district resident, as well as friends and family, to line the streets on the parade route,” Mr. Polansky said. “I also extend to all an invitation to attend the game and to cheer the Blue Devils to victory. We are looking forward to a fun-filled, family-oriented day and a day for every community member to join together in support of our students and schools.”
“We are very grateful for the kind of participation in the parade that our superintendent has generated over the last two years,” Dr. Leonardi said. “Thanks to his leadership and energy all schools and organizations will march again this year. What a wonderful way to begin a promising school year. What could be better than coming to cheer our own team and concluding the day with music and friends?”
About 400 students are expected to be at the Homecoming dance Saturday night in the Huntington High School gym, whooping it up to the sounds of a DJ spinning their favorite tunes from 7-11p.m. Tickets are being sold to students for $10 or two for $15.
Following the game, alumni are expected to head straight to local restaurants and pubs throughout the village for individual and group reunions and get-togethers, catching up on personal news and reminiscing about high school.
Last year’s festivities drew a crowd estimated at about 2,000. It saw seniors Devon Nelson and Claire Beach crowned homecoming king and queen, respectively. Assuming there is good weather, a similar packed house is expected this weekend at Huntington High School.
