MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Parents, friends, administrators and students alike took a moment Friday night to remember senior athletes and their lost season.
“Shine for WV Seniors 2020” was organized by the WVSSAC which asked participants to light up school stadiums, front lawns and porch lights in support of the student-athletes.
The event comes on the heels of the state basketball tournaments and entire spring athletic seasons being canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world. West Virginia is one of more than 36 states that have scrapped the remainder of the in-person academic year, closing all facilities and canceling the spring seasons. The official word to cancel spring seasons came on April 21.
Preston, Morgantown, University, Clay-Battelle and Trinity Christian all took part in the event, lighting up their stadiums at roughly 8:30 p.m.
“We are honored to burn the lights at Pony Lewis in honor of our seniors and the class of 2020,” Morgantown Athletic Director John Bowers said. “Anything we can do to honor these great kids that have missed out on so much due to COVID-19, we will certainly attempt to do so. This is an easy way to show we love them, are thinking of them, and honor their lost senior year.”
“Seniors in this class … will be among the toughest graduates ever as their lives have been the bookends to two of the worst tragedies in our nation’s history,” a release written by Dr. Karissa Niehoff of the National Federation of State High School Associations said. “Born sometime during the 2001-02 school year, which began the horrific events of September 11, 2001, these resilient 2020 graduates had an abrupt ending to their high school days with the ongoing national health crisis.”
The idea to light up stadiums was allegedly started in Texas before developing in other states. Social media posts can be found with the hashtag #BeALight. According to the NFHS release, some lights come on at 8:20 p.m. and stay on for 20 minutes, 20 seconds.
MHS football field. Best photo I could get due to the fence around the field and all the gates locked. Senior light up night 5-1-20 GH 
A group of people at Clay Battelle wave to passing cars – Senior light up night 5-1-20 GH 
Clay Battelle Baseball field – Senior light up night 5-1-20 GH 
Cars drive by and honk for the seniors at Clay-Battelle. 
Clay Battelle football field – Senior light up night 5-1-20 GH 
Clay Battelle football field sign. The count down is for how long the lights stay on. They had 70 seniors so their lights stayed on for 70 mins. Senior light up night 5-1-20 GH 
Clay-Battelle football field lit up Friday night for Senior night 5-1-20 GH 
Clay Battelle – Senior light up night 5-1-20 GH 
The field at Preston High was lit for the class of 2020 on Friday. 
The field at Preston High was lit for the class of 2020 on Friday. 
The field at Preston High was lit for the class of 2020 on Friday. 
The field at Preston High was lit for the class of 2020 on Friday. 
Senior Morgan Thomas and her dog “Happy” sit on the back of a truck with the Clay Battelle sign in the background. Senior light up night 5-1-20 GH
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