Tuscola cheerleaders deck the halls for fall
Oct. 7—Downtown Waynesville got an autumn make-over this week courtesy of the Tuscola cheerleaders.
More than 30 cheerleaders armed with fall decor fanned out along Main Street Wednesday afternoon to ready the town for the kick-off of the fall festival season this weekend. They made quick work of tackling downtown with cornstalks and harvest bouquets, leaving no lamppost unturned by the time they were done.
Going into the venture, Cheerleader Landry Willson admitted she was a novice at cornstalk- tying.
"I haven't really mastered the art, yet but I hope to further my skills today," Willson quipped.
Luckily, Willson learned from the best. Downtown Waynesville Director Beth Gilmore stepped into the role of team captain for the afternoon.
"Take two bows and a wire, feed the wire through the zip tie, and then wrap the wire around the post and try to hide it behind the cornstalk," Gilmore explained, giving a demo before the work started.
Gilmore then dispatching groups of girls up and down the street — some fastening cornstalks, some tying on the bows and others ferrying twine and wire to whoever needed it.
Katelyn Francis reveled in her role pushing a cart of bows along the sidewalk.
"I am the bow carrier. My official title is 'Keeper of the Bows,'" Francis said.
The cheerleaders got a chance to admire their own handiwork before Tuscola's home game Friday night. Per tradition every home game, they rode in a caravan down Main Street with banners flying and horns honking en route to the football stadium.
"It will be cool to drive down Main Street and see something we helped with," Cheerleader Grace Nickol. "It's also really good for team bonding for varsity and JV to come together as one group."
The fall decor also made its debut just in time for Church Street Art and Craft Show on Saturday, Oct. 8, which will bring more than 10,000 people to downtown.
"With so many people coming in from all over, they'll get an understanding of the type of community our town is and how much group effort is put into making it look good," Tuscola Cheerleader Arden Wever.
Decorating downtown lamposts was a regular community service project for the cheer team pre-COVID.
"We are really excited to start back up again to help the town," said Tuscola Cheerleader Chloe Crawford.
Tuscola Cheer Coach Kari Setser said it's one of her favorite community service projects.
"It's good to be visible out in the community other than just at game times," Setser said. "The community has given us so much in terms of sponsorships and support, so it's also a good way to give back."
