Wilkes-Barre Area’s Wolfpack Community Outreach Day drew a massive crowd. This photo shows only a fraction of attendance, which easily numbered in the hundreds.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
Event draws hundreds to new high school campus
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Wilkes-Barre Area School District Superintendent Brian Costello directs traffic.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
Rylan Shellenberger and Amin Skibinski take a break from their snow cones for a quick photo op.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
The petting zoo was certainly a hot-spot with a constant rotation of both children and adults offering feed in exchange for a pet and a photo.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
PLAINS TWP. — The Wolfpack was out in full force in advance of Friday’s home football game against Crestwood for Community Outreach Day, drawing hundreds to the new high school complex for a variety of games, food, entertainment, and informative stands.
Wilkes-Barre Area School District Superintendent Brian Costello, offered his thoughts on the event while simultaneously directing traffic in the packed parking lot.
“This day just shows whenever the community and the district work together, everybody wins,” he said. “And I truly believe that, you know, our job is to show all the different resources and agencies that are available for our community and for our students. And it most certainly shows all the support we have from our community when they attend a festival like this.”
Among those resources he named were Plains Township First Responders, the State Police, representatives from various local health organizations, the Boy Scouts of America, and even folks from the Wilkes-Barre City Health Department who were offering free flu vaccines.
Various members of the faculty and administration were present throughout the lot, staffing stations and games, and seemingly having as good a time as the students and kids.
Eleventh Grade Principal Patrick Peters was making his way throw the growing crowd in anticipation of kickoff, mascot in tow. “This actually started through the school district itself and is headed by Dr. Rochelle Koury,” he explained. “It’s not all about education (at the new high school), it’s also about community because community does build a school,” Peters said. He added that the district intends to continue the event annually, and hopes to do more community involvement and outreach.
Jamie Gibson, a behavioral health technician with the school spoke with a reporter while Rylan Shellenberger and Amin Skibinski enjoyed their snow cones in the background. “I think it’s good for the families to come out and support the school and see what this is all about she said,” to the backdrop of the sprawling campus, smiling faces, and lively chatter.
The day also saw free basket raffles and bingo, face-painting, and so much more — all for free — in a wolf pack that’s certainly not short on numbers, nor purpose.
“One of the things we realized being divided within the three different school (Meyers, Coughlin, and GAR) is how much stronger we are united, when we come together as one … and I’m so appreciative that I’ve been able to be a little part of that,” Costello said, simultaneously waving on another car and offering well-wishes to its occupants.
The event drew to a close at 6:30p.m., providing ample time to pack the home stands before the 7 p.m. kickoff.
