Pep Rally With a Purpose

Warren High School Lumberjacks celebrate upcoming Kickoff Classic with local Pep Rally with a Purpose Event sponsored Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Hooten's Arkansas Football
August 15, 2019 (Warren, Ark.) — Football, food banks and fearless fans converged today, as Warren High School football players, cheerleaders, band members, coaches and several teachers and staff gathered today to celebrate their selection for participation in the 2019 Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kickoff Classic, presented by hootens.com, and pack meals for the local food pantry.
The Warren High School Lumberjacks are one of eight teams selected to participate in the competitive, championship-caliber high school football showcase for 2019! Other schools participating are:
• Greene County Tech High School in Paragould (the Golden Eagles).
• Magnolia High School (the Panthers).
• Valley View High School in Jonesboro (the Blazers).
• Prescott High School (the Curley Wolves).
• Rison High School (the Wildcats).
• Osceola High School (the Seminoles).
• Westside High School in Jonesboro (the Warriors).

Warren will face Magnolia in the 2019 Kickoff Classic on Tuesday, August 27, at Southern Arkansas University's Wilkins Stadium. To help get the team and town excited about the game, a community pep rally was held at First Baptist church in Warren. At the pep rally, it was announced that students and staff, along with Arkansas Blue Cross employees had packed 25,000 meals for the First Baptist Church, Wilson Chapel Soup Kitchen, and Ebenezer Baptist Church food pantries. The Pack Shack of Cave Springs, conducted a Feed the Funnel party in the cafeteria to produce the nutritious meals.
"This is the fourth year for Arkansas Blue Cross to sponsor the Kickoff Classic and we couldn't be happier to be supporting the teams and the towns where they live with Pep Rally with a Purpose events," said Curtis Barnett, president and chief executive officer of Arkansas Blue Cross. "The heartbeat of our company is serving Arkansans. Because our state is ranked 2nd in the nation in the number of people facing food insecurity, we are reaching out in advance of the games and making a deeper investment in the Arkansas communities where these students, coaches, teachers and administrators, parents and other folks live, learn, work and play.
As a very small token of appreciation for the hospitality shown by the citizens of Rison and to extend its investment in the youth of the community, Arkansas Blue Cross' also made a $1,500 donation to the Warren school district.
"We appreciate Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield affirming youth across the state and being involved in a positive activity like high school football," said Chad Hooten of Hooten's Arkansas Football. "Not only will all eight teams get to start this season in grand style at college stadiums, Arkansas Blue Cross will enable the players, cheerleaders and band members to help their communities while having a lot of fun before the games."
The 2019 Kickoff Classic schedule is as follows:
Monday, August 26 Arkansas State University, Jonesboro
• Westside vs. Greene County Tech (5:30 p.m.)
• Valley View vs. Osceola (7:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, August 27 Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia
• Magnolia vs. Warren (5:30 p.m.)
• Rison vs. Prescott (7:30 p.m.)