POWERGRAMS

3 Jones and four alumni started a "Bricks for Bleachers" fundraising campaign to build sidewalks inside the stadium with bricks inlaid with names of donors. The effort raised $85,000 to add 534 seats. "This may not seem like a big project to some, but for a community like Slocomb, it was a big deal," Jones said. His son, Thaxton, plays football and baseball, as did older son, Bailey, a 2014 graduate. Jones said his involvement has one goal. "I do what I do to help the coaches focus more on the student athletes instead of how to raise money for the program." Alabama Power employees volunteer to support the endeavors of their children and for camaraderie with other parents. But it comes at a price. "The only drawback was being there working each game," said Sules, the Pinson Valley concession stand manager. "Last year, I wasn't able to watch much of the games due to the work." Jones, however, doesn't have that problem at Slocomb, geing a bird's-eye view working the sticks on the chain gang keeping up with downs and ball location. Maybe the best seat in the house goes to Jeremy Hyde, who sits in the press box as color analyst for the Oneonta Redskin Radio Network on 95.3 WCRL-FM. "I wanted to be involved in the coverage of high school sports in our community," said Hyde, a marketing specialist in the Oneonta Office. "This way, I could see the team from a different light, geing to know them on a different level – almost from the inside out. I also wanted to give our listeners a perspective from someone that played the game, lives in the community and has children in the school system." His oldest daughter, Hannah, is in her third year in the Redskin Marching Band. "It really makes me proud to be able to introduce the band at halime, especially knowing the hard work they put into the program." Hyde is proud to have been at the microphone when the Redskins made back- to-back-to-back appearances in the state finals, winning the football championship in 2013. "I love geing to the stadium early on a Friday night. You get to see the players, coaches, cheerleaders, fans and everyone filing in," he said. "There's nothing like the smell of the stadium and the sound of the band on a small-town Friday night." While high school volunteers may have one hand on the plow, the other is oen shaking a pom-pom. "Last year was a huge year for Pinson Valley. For the first time in school history we were state 6A champions," said Sules, who was this year voted first vice president of the band boosters. "We have had the reputation of having great bands, but last year our football team made the spotlight. The city of Pinson had a buzz looking forward to this season." As does most everyone when it comes to high school football. Despite the immense popularity of high school football, Alabama Power employees who are football and band boosters agree there is one problem. "The biggest challenge we face is parental involvement," said John Paul Jones, who is on the Slocomb Athletic Association board. "The biggest challenge is getting parents and volunteers to participate in meetings and events that support our students," concurred Deanna Lee, a band booster at Shelby County High School in Columbiana. "Communication, scheduling and time," are the culprits, said Nickie Van Pelt, who serves in several volunteer capacities with Ashville High athletics. "Everyone is busy with family, work and life in general." But she has a solution. "Most people think you have to have a kid in sports to be a part of the booster clubs. That is so not true," Van Pelt said. "The stronger our clubs are, the stronger our relationships are with each other, in turn making the school stronger and community even stronger." And it provides a good life lesson for kids. "It's very important to mentor our kids on being a volunteer," Van Pelt continued. "I started volunteering for my school in eighth grade selling programs and working football games at Legion Field. I have fond memories and I was able to be a part of something good. Kids hunger to be a part of something, so why not take an hour to show them how good it is to be a volunteer?" Lee tries to convey the message to those sitting on the sidelines of how rewarding it can be. "As exhausting as it may be for parents that participate," Lee said, "nothing compares to seeing your child on the field doing what they love to do and knowing the sacrifice he or she has endured for that one moment in time. With (her son) Joseph (band member) graduating this year, I plan to savor every moment and treasure every memory." Schools Seeking Support

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