Easton students cheer on Leopards at School Day Game

In a spirit of community, Lafayette College on Jan. 18 welcomed more than 1,300 sixth- and seventh-graders from Easton Area School District for the School Day Game, providing them a glimpse of the excitement, energy, and possibilities behind collegiate life.

Gathering in Kirby Sports Center, the students participated in a series of games and hands-on team building activities organized by the men’s lacrosse team and the cheerleaders.

They later attended the midday Patriot League women’s basketball game in which Lafayette took on American University. The Lafayette women’s team won, 59-57, backed by the Easton students who offered their loud, enthusiastic “Let’s Go, Leopards” cheers – as taught to them by their student athlete coaches – all while enjoying arena music and games.

Lafayette President Nicole Hurd said the event displays the power of ‘and’ by bringing together campus and community and showing the Easton students that all things are possible.

“They have potential. We believe in them, and we’re here to cheer them on just like they are here to cheer us on today,” Hurd said.

The School Day Game, presented by Lafayette Athletics in partnership with the Landis Center for Community Engagement and event sponsor Wells Fargo, started in 2019 but was on put on hiatus during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wednesday’s School Day Game marked the third time Lafayette has hosted the event and third time Wells Fargo has sponsored it.

Sherryta Freeman, Lafayette’s director of athletics, said the School Day Game is one of her favorite events of the year.

“The opportunity to bring the children of Easton to our campus to interact with our student-athletes is wonderful to witness,” she said. “Our students light up seeing the kids and I know the kids have a great time as well. Wells Fargo has been a great partner with the College for this event, and each year we’ve been able to make it better with their help. They’ve helped us incorporate financial literacy and leadership components into the program, which benefits all members of the community.”

For the Easton Area School District, the Lafayette Game Day experience provides an opportunity for students and staff to experience the atmosphere of a local institution of higher education and allows district staff members to build connections with local partners such as Lafayette and Wells Fargo, noted Tracy Piazza, the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.

“Those connections translate into learning opportunities such as the one Wells Fargo provides on financial literacy and that the Lafayette students provide on what it takes to be a successful student-athlete at the collegiate level,” Piazza added. “We, the Easton Area School District, are grateful for the partnerships.”

As event sponsor, Wells Fargo provided volunteers and donated educational materials for students to take home.

“We’re thrilled to be back interacting in-person with local students at Lafayette College,” said William Della Vecchia, district senior manager at Wells Fargo. “At Wells Fargo, we’re truly committed to our communities, our people and making a real impact through action. We know that this type of exposure to higher education and financial literacy can have positive impacts for preparing young people to lead economically empowered lives, and we’re proud to collaborate with local organizations to make this work possible.”

See more photos from this event on Flickr.