Medina businesses will be part of next week’s homecoming celebration at school district

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Melissa Valley, left, president of the Mustang Sports Boosters, and secretary Mollie Mark hold a poster promoting a unique new look for Homecoming the Week of Oct. 3 to 7.

MEDINA – Homecoming is always a highlight at every school, but at Medina High School next week, the Mustang Sports Boosters want to share the excitement with the whole community.

The Mustangs will celebrate homecoming from Oct. 3 to Oct. 7, including when the Medina Mustang football team faces Springville-Griffith Institute next Friday at Veterans Memorial Park.

“To us, homecoming is a community event, a time to celebrate not just Mustang athletics, but who we are as a community,” said Melissa Valley, president of the Mustang Boosters. “Businesses are so supportive of us and we want to support them.”

The Boosters’ goal for homecoming week is to have the whole community involved in the Mustang Spirit, Valley said. They hope to get businesses involved in two ways.

To support the local businesses, the Boosters will advertise their business on their website and on social media. They will create a “Mustang menu,” where businesses can promote a “Mustang special” for the week of homecoming. Businesses who wish to participate are asked to come up with a special offer for that week.

“We expect nothing in return,” Valley said. “We want to support you by enticing the community to support your business, while encouraging Mustang spirit.”

The second way is with a window contest. Businesses are asked to decorate their store windows to show Mustang spirit. The public will then be invited to vote for the best decorated window via the Mustang Boosters Twitter and Facebook pages. The winner will be announced at halftime during the homecoming game.

“We are all Mustangs, not just the sports teams,” Valley said. “When people come into Medina, we want them to feel the Mustang spirit.”

The Boosters have ordered a banner which will be draped across Main Street during the week. They will further support local businesses by selling cookies from Case-Nic Cookies, chocolates from Della’s and carnations from Creekside Florist at the high school. Mike Lepkyj, tech teacher, and his classes are making Mustang molds for Della’s to make the Mustang chocolates.

“We hope people will shop and buy Mustang specials,” Valley said. “I’m excited everyone is on board with us.”

Applications for businesses who want to participate can be found on the Booster’s website at https://sites.com/mustangboosters.org/msb. That is also the site on which to vote for the best-decorated store.

Also assisting Valley, who teaches sixth grade and coaches field hockey and track, is Mollie Mark, fourth-grade teacher who coaches modified cross country and is secretary of the Mustang Sports Boosters.

Homecoming Week will also feature the first ever Powder Puff flag football game on Wednesday at Vets Park. The junior girls will play the seniors and the boys will be cheerleaders. The game will start at 6:30 p.m. and admission is $2 to benefit the Student Association. Concessions will be available.

This was an idea kids in the Student Association came up with, said Student Association adviser Kayla Rosenbeck.

Friday will also feature food trucks in the Oak Orchard School bus loop from 4 to 7 p.m.

“We hope to make this an annual event,” Valley said. “We need more things that bring us together and make us happy.”