More than 5,000 excited, screaming spectators are crammed into the home stands at College of the Canyons on a chilly and overcast night. Music is blaring from the PA system and the atmosphere is highly charged in anticipation of the start of the Big Event. Is this the latest round in the historic Hart versus Canyon football rivalry? Or maybe it’s the big boys from COC taking to the field? Not this time. Tonight, it’s students, friends and families gathered for the second Valencia Nissan Car Give Away event, where one lucky student would win a brand new 2010 NissanVersa, as a reward for maintaining outstanding scholarship, behavior and attendance.
Sponsored by Valencia Nissan, and initiated in 2008, the event took a hiatus in 2009, while the effort was retooled to “go big” this time around. Throughout the year, all six of the Hart District high schools, plus Academy of the Canyons, made every effort to encourage students to become eligible for the car drawing by maintaining a 3.0 grade point average, avoiding discipline citations, and keeping a 97 percent attendance rate for the year. Publicity was done through the schools’ and District’s website, school newspapers, automated phone dialers, and personal contacts with each and every eligible student. Throughout the football and basketball seasons, Valencia Nissan put the grand prize Versa on display for students and families to see.
At about 5:30 on April 28, hundreds upon hundreds of eligible students and their parents began to gather at COC. The students registered and settled into the stands. Guests also had plenty of time to check out the many Nissan dream machines on display inside and outside of the stadium. Throughout the evening, various door prizes were raffled off, including iPods, Dodger tickets, and many other well-received items. This only added to the anticipation of the grand prize announcement.
At 7:45 p.m., the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived. The metal drum containing thousands of registration forms was opened, and the grand prize winner, an 11th grader from Hart High School, was announced. In a great show of support, the crowd cheered and applauded the winner. As the lucky student and her family came down to the field to claim their gleaming black Versa, which coincidentally was trimmed with red, black and white balloons, the crowd began to file out. Although the vast majority of students left without having won a prize, the atmosphere was very positive and there were many comments about how much fun it had been to be at this big event together with students from all of the Hart District high schools. And besides, these students were all winners anyway; they live in a community where local businesses and the school District have partnered to provide a great opportunity for students who have displayed outstanding scholarship and citizenship.