The Montezuma-Cortez High School Booster Club kicked off its third annual Spring Sports Appreciation Day at Panther Stadium on Thursday evening.
The event showcased spring sports student-athletes playing in For fun games, that they came up with, against one another. Some of the games consisted of a soccer game between the Lady Panthers and a coed team of spring sports athletes, and many other athletes also tested their skills in track and field. Prizes were M-CHS Booster Club material and Hair Affiar, located at 326 W. Montezuma Avenue in Cortez, donated a gift certificate.
Before the games began, M-CHS unveiled the first part of the new Team Sports Picture Project, that is currently underway.
The unveiling was of a 40 x 58 glass mirror picture donated by the Deene Hinton Memorial Fund to the M-CHS Booster Club. The mirror has a wooden framed picture of Deene Hinton, who was one of M-CHSs biggest fans, the M-CHS logo, and an inscription recognizing the donors. The glass mirror picture was made by Lonnies Glass, located at 448 W. Main St. in Cortez.
M-CHS personnel, boosters, and family and friends of Deene Hinton were in attendance.
The second part of the Team Sports Picture Project will be to buy 20 new frames for each M-CHS sport to replace the old ones, many of which are falling apart. With the new frames, the sports pictures will be moved to a new wall next to the main gym where they will be accessible at all times to the students and public. The current location is locked down to the public during evening sporting events.
The idea came about when the family of Deene Hinton donated the money from the memorial fund to the M-CHS Booster Club. Everyone involved wanted to benefit all the sports in some way.
Its going to be cool, because the kids will be able to see it and show their parents when they come at night for basketball, M-CHS Booster Club president Debra Ramsey said. The kids really do enjoy looking at them at the school. I think it will be a positive thing that the community will see more than they see now.
M-CHS softball coach and Lonnies Glass owner, Heath Elliot, designed and constructed the Deene Hinton glass mirror picture. He feels the Team Sports Picture Project will greatly distinguish M-CHS among its peer schools.
Its long overdue to get the kids out in front of the public, that you can see them when visiting teams, and such, come in, Elliot said. We just thought its a good way to draw attention to it, and really set it apart from what the other schools might have.
Lonnies Glass also does smaller glass pictures for graduating seniors on their respective athletic teams.
Ramsey encourages more people to join or support the M-CHS Booster Club.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com