The third Pacer Fest will be held Monday at Hayes High School and will spotlight the spring athletic programs at Delaware City Schools.

The event, a pep rally designed to build community and promote school spirit, will take place on March 6 at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium at Hayes. The event is once again being organized by the Pacer Spirit Committee.

Sixth grade teacher Brooke Brenner, who is one of the organizers on the committee, said she can’t believe the committee is already on its third event.

“It seems like yesterday that 10 of us were sitting in my living room trying to figure out how we could increase school spirit and bring back some old DCS traditions,” Brenner said. “I never dreamed that our events would become so popular so quickly. I am incredibly thankful for the support we have received from our administrative team and the community to help make these events successful.”

Brenner said being part of the group has been the highlight of her professional career.

“I absolutely love working with my current and former students, fellow teachers and parents, and business owners to create community events that highlight our amazing student leaders and build a stronger sense of community,” she said.

The organizers said in addition to the pep rally for the spring athletic teams, the event will also feature a photo booth with spirit accessories and the Pacer mascot, face paintings, activities and performances from Hayes and Dempsey cheerleaders, the Hayes Dance Team, the Hayes Winter Color Guard, Dempsey Singers and Hayes Players.

Organizers said there will also be various vendors and prizes as part of the event.

Fellow organizer and music teacher Tracy Cinereski said the event is focused on community and spotlighting students.

“Our goal for this event is to bring the community together and take the opportunity to highlight our students involved in spring sports and clubs,” Cinereski said. “It’s also nice for parents to walk around and visit the various booths that are set up. DCS families are able to get information about local activities and upcoming events. Essentially, this is an opportunity to display our school spirit and connect with the community and the schools.”

Cinereski said she hopes the event encourages younger attendees to get involved in more extracurriculars.

“We are confident that our event will help shine a spotlight on our spring athletic programs and continue to build school spirit and student leadership throughout the district,” Cinereski said. “We are hopeful that we have a lot of young Pacers in attendance because this event will be a wonderful opportunity for those families to register for summer camps and learn about all of the exciting programs our district has to offer. As a younger parent in the district, I love watching my daughters interact with the older athletes at these events and find incredible role models within our own school community.”

Cinereski said the committee has received “positive and helpful feedback” after each of the prior two Pacer Fest events, and the committee wants the event to feature something for everyone.

“It’s nice to hear from the community about what works and what doesn’t,” she said. “We’re always thinking about how we can improve and make things easy and fun for families. It was our goal from the start to make this a community event, not isolated to high school or middle school families only. We care about involving our youngest Pacers and community members in these events. We want our older kids to leave a legacy and give our younger Pacers something to look forward to when they reach Dempsey and Hayes. We also want our DCS alumni to continue to feel connected to the schools through these events.”

Hayes senior Cassandra Klumpp, who is one of the founding members of the committee, said planning the events has made her more connected to the school in her final year as a student.

“Because this is my senior year, the Spirit Committee and Pacer Fest has kept me so invested and prideful in being a Pacer,” Klumpp said. “It is also so rewarding to be apart of something greater by planning these events to elevate our students and athletes! Who knew a year ago how much our group would have accomplished and how this is just the beginning for us. It feels good to know I’m leaving a legacy behind at Hayes with this tradition.”

Klumpp said she and the committee have been pleased with the high attendance and positive reception to the events.

“The support has been incredible, and we are so thankful for everyone who has provided feedback so we can continue to improve the event for all involved!” Klumpp said. “We also are so thankful for those local businesses and organizations who continue to support our initiatives in helping make this event possible. And most importantly, we thank our school leaders for their support and allowing us to plan this event!”

More information about the Pacer Spirit Committee can be found at https://www.facebook.com/PacerSpiritCommittee.

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.