High school boosters in Antioch have something new to cheer about: the school logo and “Home of the Sequoits” is now painted on the village’s water tower overlooking the football field.
“This project was 100 percent parent-driven,” said Jim Connelly, president of the Sequoit Pride booster club.
“A parent, Bart Winkler, had the idea of painting the water tower,” he said and then all of sudden parents are volunteering to research prices, approaching the village for permission and permits and working with the school district. Other parents went to work soliciting donations and approaching businesses.
“No tax dollars were used,” said Connelly. They were able to raise about $4,000 from parents, residents and businesses, banking on their school pride and civic responsibility. But they were still several thousand dollars short of their goal.
“Mark Scarpelli, the owner of Raymond Chevy and Raymond Kia in Antioch, stepped up in a big way” said Connelly. “His business made the single largest donation in Sequoit Pride’s history.” The Raymond Auto Group committed to a $50,000 donation over the next ten years and immediately presented the group with $12,500. Scarpelli is an Antioch High School alumnus.
“We would not have been able to paint the water tower without their support,” said Connelly. “That donation gave Sequoit Pride enough money to paint the tower in time for the high school’s fall opening of its new football field.”
Antioch Community High School’s grass football field and track were replaced over the summer with a multipurpose turf field and larger track. The new field will allow multiple teams and physical education classes to use the facility.
Connelly said they wanted to make sure the logo and words could be visible to people on campus and the football field. It’s located on the northeast corner of Route 173 and McMillen Road.
“When the painters were on the tower, some of our volunteers sat on the 50-yard line to make sure the artwork would face the field,” he said. “It is amazing what people in this village are capable of when they commit to making our town a better place.”.
The remainder of Raymond Auto Group’s donation will help Sequoit Pride continue its mission of providing opportunities to all students that would otherwise go unfunded. They parent-run club is not tied to a single team or department. Instead the booster club serves the entire school from academics and athletics to arts and activities, said Connelly. They also encourage school spirit and pride and promote the involvement of parents and the community. Learn more at the website www.sequoitpride.com.
When the water tower is repainted in the future, the village of Antioch has agreed to integrate and maintain the new artwork in future designs.
So now the question is, what is a Sequoit?
“Folks in Antioch don’t ask too often, but my out-of-town relatives sure do,” said Connelly. Many people believe “Sequoit” is an Indian tribe or an Indian word. However, there is no Sequoit tribe (the Potawatomi tribe lived in Lake County according to the Lake County Discovery Museum.)
“There is a Sequoit Creek that runs through Antioch and legend says Antioch settlers named the creek after Sauquoit Creek from their hometown in Oneida County, N.Y. Sauquoit derives from an Iroquois Indian word ‘sa-da-quoit,’ which means ‘smooth pebbles in the bed of a stream,’ said Connelly, who got the information from Fred Willman’s book “Why Mascots Have Nicknames.”
For Antioch High School Principal Bradford Hubbard there is a modern definition.
“I would define a Sequoit as a lifelong learner that is a respectful, responsible, and proud citizen in their community,” he said.
For Connelly the whole experience has just been heartwarming to say the least.
“Either way, ‘Sequoit’ is unique to Antioch and a source of community pride,” he said.
Twitter @abderholden
