Sharing the PRIDE message

Diane Raver

Get ready to rumble!

With music blaring and audience members clapping enthusiastically, Sunman Elementary School students and staff welcomed Blue, the Indianapolis Colts’ mascot, to southeastern Indiana Dec. 9.

Even though many students proudly wore Colts shirts or blue and white, Blue was a little scared to enter the gym at first because he saw a few decked out in Cincinnati Bengals jerseys.

However, it didn’t take long for him to get the courage to begin his antics and bring smiles to everyone’s faces. The football ambassador even asked a young Bengals’ fan to demonstrate how to catch a football pass, which he successfully did.

With help from his emcee and agent, Kat Taylor, he brought his “Take PRIDE in Yourself” message to the first- through fourth-graders.

The first letter of the acronym PRIDE stood for physical fitness. “The Indianapolis Colts and the entire National Football League want you to be physically fit 60 minutes a day,” Taylor noted.

The furry creature demonstrated several activities that could fulfill this goal, including playing baseball, basketball, swimming and doing jumping jacks and push-ups. The mute mascot also revealed his favorite indoor activity, dancing, as he moved and grooved to “The Chicken Dance,” “YMCA” and “Macarena.”

The “R” represented Respect, which meant “your lips are quiet, eyes forward, you’re seated on the bleaches .... and your ears are open,” the emcee stressed. The youngsters also unveiled other examples: “Keep hands to yourself. Say please and thank you.”

The announcer also mentioned the Golden Rule: “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”

The “I” symbolized Intelligent decisions, saying no to drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Taylor highlighted the importance of “saying no firmly and going to an adult if you need extra help.”

Blue demonstrated how to do this. He threw the drugs in the trash and told a teacher what had happened.

Two teachers and two students helped explain “D” for Diet. The youngsters tried to throw plastic healthy food choices into baskets that were attached to the educators’ heads.

Afterwards, the agent explained why the food items were important for a healthy diet. “Cucumbers are vegetables. Pasta is a carbohydrate. Milk is for healthy bones. Chicken is protein.” She reported that good choices could also be made when eating out because “Arby’s (sponsor of the free program) offers apple slices and milk.”

As Blue’s friend talked about “E” for Education, she remarked, “Blue wants to know what some of you want to be when you grow up.” The mysterious figure with the oversized head walked around the bleachers and received various responses: a basketball player, football player, artist and teacher.

His spokesperson announced, “Blue and I want you to know you can be anything you want to be .... Dream big and work hard.”

The duo acknowledged the hard work of the faculty and staff to educate students and keep the school running smoothly.

They also revealed three surprises: The school received 100 posters with the PRIDE slogan as a reminder of the message. Each student was given a Blue autograph card, and the school community was invited to participate in the PRIDE Challenge, an “opportunity to show you have more pride than any other school.”

This season, Blue will visit 75 elementary schools across the Hoosier state. The one that shows the most PRIDE will receive a party at the end of the school year, which will include lunch for the entire school, a viewing of the Colts Super Bowl trophy, a PRIDE Challenge trophy and appearances by Colts cheerleaders and players.

In closing, Taylor said, “Blue brought you many important lessons, and you need to put them into practice.”

After the program, the emcee revealed what she enjoys about it: “The children .... Even after doing it 75 times a year, the kids make it fresh. You don’t know what their responses will be. It’s so great to see their visual and facial expressions as they react to Blue.

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