Every year, Upland Heights Elementary hosts a tailgate in the parking lot during homecoming week. This is the first big event of the year for Upland Heights students. Families came out with chairs and blankets and cheered on their teachers as four teams competed in ‘water wars’.  

At the tailgate, the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) cooked hotdogs and sold spirit ribbons to raise money for the “Splash Day” the end of year as well as new technology items for students. The Upland Heights PTA takes this opportunity to go over important information for parents.  

Raider Red made a surprise visit at the tailgate and helped the students cheer on their teachers. As the teams worked to not spill any water on themselves, Raider Red surprised a few unlucky teachers with a cup of water dumped on blindfolded contestant’s head. In the end, team Dominate took home the win, just barely beating team Stewart in the championship round. 

“I'm fortunate for staff members that like to have fun and are willing to do whatever to make kids laugh,’ said Denise Stewart, principal at Upland Heights. “Parents get to see the fun side of the Upland Heights staff members each year at this event. We love this event. Always a great time had by all!”