Bandits host fourth annual school day morning game

Published on October 31, 2005 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
St. Louis Bandits News Release


The Texarkana Bandits will be hosting the 4th Annual Bandits' School Day on Tuesday, November 1. This annual event is scheduled during Red Ribbon Week each year and has grown from a little over a thousand students the first year to 2000 last year from over 20 schools in a three-state area. Total attendance last year was 3000.

The Bandits will be playing the Springfield Jr.Blues at 10:35 AM.

An anti drug program begins at 10 AM. Law enforcement personnel, Bandits coach Jon Cooper, and team members speak to the students about staying drug free. This year, a drug detection dog, "Jack," will show his skills between periods on the ice.

Students from Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma will be in attendance and will receive drug free ribbons to wear. Also, weeks prior to the game, they have prepared posters and essays about staying drug free. These are entered in a contest to be judged by Bandit coaches and staff. Winners are given prizes and all work is displayed in the arena during the next home game for all fans to see.

Three high school cheerleader groups from Texas and three from Arkansas attend as guests to cheer the Bandits on. Also, a varsity band from Texas and one from Arkansas play at the game. A middle school choir from Oklahoma sings the national anthem and the ROTC color guard from Texarkana, Arkansas High School presents the flag.

As an added bonus this year, the Bandits will present a $500 grant to be presented to one of the schools in attendance. Faculty members in attendance get a chance to win cash prizes for teaching supplies.

School Day shirts provided by area sponsors are thrown to the students and faculty throughout the game. This is a very unique event and is topped off with the Bandits playing a league game for the students to see. After the game, team members enter the stands to sign autographs and take pictures with the kids. So far, 2,000 students have registered for the game and Ronnie Jones, the Bandits' School Day Coordinator, expects attendance to be over 3,000 for this year's event.

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North American Hockey League Stories from October 31, 2005


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