Let There Be Light

Walter Stump Stadium displaying a score of 20-20 on the scoreboard to show support for the graduating seniors.

Keith Koppenhaver and Kolby Geesey

Covid-19, also known as the “Coronavirus”, has caused a lot of hardships and struggles across the nation.The virus has caused the local businesses and schools to close and continues to spread.This causes many difficulties not only for the students, but for all of the people in the community. 

On Friday, April 17, 40 different schools in our surrounding area turned on their athletic field lights to honor the students from the Class of 2020 and support the nurses, doctors, and first responders. Scoreboards will be displaying the score as 20-20 to honor this year’s graduating class.To show that COVID-19 is on its final down, 4th Down and 19 Yards to go will be shown. Pine Grove Area also turned on the lights at the Baseball and Softball Stadiums as well.

 “Everybody has a different meaning behind what the lighting up of the fields indicates to them personally, but the goal is to reach everybody in the community during these tough times,” said Mr. Janicelli, high school principal. 

“The plan for Friday is to make a small gesture that shows the support we have for our students. Hopefully, it will serve as a recognition that our school and our community respects, honors, and sympathizes with the students and the student-athletes that represent our school so well. Honestly, I don’t know if we can provide hope. The virus has taken so much from so many.. Hopefully, however, it will show just how much we think of our kids who represent our school. It is a way to let kids know  that we are thinking of them,” said Mr. Dimon, Athletic Director. 

Pine Grove Area was one of 40 different schools to show support during these times. Every school that participated in this ceremony wanted to bring light into these dark and difficult times. ”The lighting of the stadiums, scoreboard display, and front porch celebrations symbolizes the community’s support of our kids at a place where we usually congregate to watch and celebrate “our kids,” and to show our support and thank the nurses and doctors that are working on the front line battling this virus,” said Mr. Dimon.