Wildcat Welcome kicked off Checotah Schools new school year on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at Ogle Field.

It is completely planned and organized by Checotah’s 21st CCLC After School programs.

The entire track and field was full of students, police, firefighters, local businesses, school administration, military personnel and lots of Wildcat fans from the community in the bleachers.

It was a hot night with lots of water and gatorade passed out by local churches as well as popsicles passed out by firefighters and several businesses. Of course kids didn’t seem to mind too much as they played on bounce houses, gathered goodie bags and met up with their friends from school.

The Class of Checotah performed and introduced their leadership as did the Checotah Color Guard. The Checotah Cheerleaders cheered the crowd on and one by one all the school groups from cheerleaders to football players to baseball and more were intro- duced by staff and coaches.

Local guitar players and singers, Paxton Detroit and Tucker Leathers, also serenaded the Wildcat audience with several country songs, and may very well be on their way into the entertainment field.

Local businesses offered lots of vendor booths with information, goodies and Wildcat themed merchandise. There were several games to play, prize baskets to win and faces to be paint. There were also several food trucks on site along with free hotdogs.

All in all it was a great day to be a Wildcat and these students showed up to prove it.

Organizer Lauren Edmonds stated, “Over the years, this event has grown into something truly special. It’s a celebration of community pride and the vital work that the 21st CCLC programs do for students and families. The most inspiring part of the evening was the overwhelming show of support from local businesses and community partners. They didn’t just attend, they showed up and showed out, helping make Wildcat Welcome a huge success. We are so thankful for their support and we are ready for another great school year.”