Varsity Brands on Wednesday announced the launch of its 2020 Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards, the fifth year of the Company’s iconic program celebrating and rewarding school spirit.
The kickoff coincides with National School Spirit Day, an annual occasion that encourages high schools nationwide to host pep rallies and share their school spirit on social media using the hashtag #SpiritMatters.
This year’s Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards program is being celebrated alongside Varsity Brands’ accelerated investments in initiatives that promote student pride, engagement and positive self-esteem. Most notably in this respect, motivational speaker Kevin Atlas (Laue) – the first person with one arm to earn a Division I basketball scholarship – is leading the Varsity Brands “Believe in You” challenge that encourages students and faculty to support one another by attending a school event he or she may not have gone to before, i.e. the football team attending the band concert to reciprocate the support they received all season or the band attending a drama performance, or all three programs cheering loudly at the next tennis match.
Adam Blumenfeld, CEO of Varsity Brands, stated, “The 10,000 employees of Varsity Brands come to work every day focused on elevating student experiences, and our Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards and “Believe in You” programs embody the spirit and positive impact at the heart of this mission. The tangible impacts of school spirit are well-established, as students with higher levels of school spirit perform better academically, are more civically engaged, and are happier and more connected to their schools and communities. Varsity Brands is proud to stand behind this effort, and we look forward to hearing the unique spirit stories of schools across the country.”
The 2020 Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards consists of 25 categories with $100,000 in awards, including $3,000 for each category winner and a $25,000 grand prize for America’s Most Spirited High School. Categories will be open for entries January 7–21, 2020.
Entrants can self-nominate or be nominated by a student, colleague or community member. Entries must include a short essay outlining why the nominee is deserving of this award, one letter of recommendation, and two photos demonstrating the nominee’s work.
