When Mandy Coughenour heard that airports in Florida were shutting down this week ahead of Hurricane Ian, she knew she had to get the next available flight to Pittsburgh if she was going to make it back in time for Hempfield Area’s homecoming.
On Tuesday — a day before Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm — Coughenour clinched a seat despite the majority of flights being sold out.
Coughenour, who was crowned Hempfield’s 1994 homecoming queen, is now one of 40 returning queens who will participate in the district’s parade on Friday by riding on a float themed for the decade in which they were crowned. They also will be on the football field when the 50th queen is crowned.
“I got lucky,” Coughenour said about being able to return for the event. “Everything happens for a reason, so I guess I was meant to be here.”
The Hempfield community for months has been gearing up for the event that celebrates a half-century of homecoming traditions. They grew from a simple ceremony during the 1973 football game into a weekend filled with a communitywide parade and homecoming dance.
“I’m excited because I see everything that’s coming together, and I’m excited because I see so many people jumping on board and being excited about it,” said Jim Steeley, head of the high school English Department and creator of the homecoming queen project. “Everybody’s been so generous.”
Steeley has been working with students in his class on what was dubbed The Hempfield Project to contact former homecoming queens through social media or other means to see whether they would be able to attend.
Of those contacted, only nine are unable to come.
“This is a big deal for some of them,” Steeley said. “They haven’t been back in 40 or almost 50 years, haven’t been back in the building since they left here on grad night, so it’s pretty exciting. With the football team being 5-0 … this week’s been pretty cool.”
This is the first time since 1971 the Spartans have had a string of so many wins to starts a season. They achieved a 6-0 start that year before falling to Kiski Area, 13-8.
The team on Friday will face Gateway High School.
“As exciting as the season has been for the team and school, I think it may be equally as exciting for the community,” said Athletic Director Brandon Rapp. “Fifty-one years is a long time between 5-0 records. The support the team has received from not only the student section and the student body, but the community at large has been second to none.”
Students from the Science National Honor Society on Thursday were putting finishing touches on gift bags that will be given to the queens.
The bags are filled with programs, sashes made by the family consumer sciences class, bracelets made by the autistic classroom and learning support students, and handmade cards from second and third grade students.
“You get to show your school spirit and feel like you’re actually helping the school and being involved in it,” said Gianna DeMarco, a high school junior.
Students on Friday will continue decorating floats and hanging banners in preparation for the parade, which will kick off at 5:15 p.m. Friday at the Word of Life Church on Route 136. The route will end at the high school and will be followed by the football game.
For Hanna Palmer Myers, the district’s 2011 queen who now lives in Nashville, returning to the area is bringing back feelings of nostalgia.
“We’ve been talking about memories,” Palmer said, referencing her husband, James Myers, who also is a Hempfield alum. “It’s just kind of fun to think about the few years we spent there.”
Coughenour said she has been visiting with friends who are still in the area.
“It’s just so nice (Steeley) put together this event,” Coughenour said. “With the way the world is right now, people … think about themselves and not necessarily everything else. It’s kind of like a breath of fresh air.”
Megan Tomasic is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan by email at mtomasic@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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