BCC homecoming welcomes back alumni, celebrates Bearcat pride

As part of the homecoming festivities, BCPSEF, a nonprofit affiliate of the Battle Creek Community Foundation, hosted its annual tailgate celebration on the lawn at Battle Creek Central. The event was complete with free food, music, dancing, bounce houses, face painting, and games. The tailgate coincided with the Bearcat Family BBQ, originally a back-to-school event that was postponed due to weather.

“We had a grant through Communities in Schools of Michigan to help finance the event and make it free for our families and a gathering in the hopes that they have fun, play games and leave with some free things, watch the parade, and make their way to the game,” said Mariama Wurie, district family and community engagement coordinator and first vice president of BCPSEF.

Since 2017, BCPSEF has hosted the tailgate, raising more than $76,000 and helping 15 scholarship and grant funds reach or maintain awarding level to support Bearcat students, graduates, and staff.

Wurie said the tailgate not only offers a fun atmosphere for Bearcat families to gather, but a place to gain knowledge and make connections in the community, with support from local organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan, Communities in Schools, Summit Pointe, Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s Heartland, Fatherhood and Family Service Hub and RISE Corp.

“We’re here to help educate our families,” Wurie said. “We have so many other organizations here today that we collaborate with for scholarships and community support. It’s about bringing the community out and see what resources that are out there that align with the Bearcat Advantage. People need to understand that college is way more than tuition. The Bearcat Advantage does cover tuition and mandatory fees. However, you still have your room and board and books, and other financial obligations that need to be taken care of for school. The Bearcat Advantage is beautiful and a blessing, but it’s still important to have scholarships and apply for scholarships, and to network.”

The homecoming parade and tailgate set the stage for a tightly contested matchup on the gridiron between Battle Creek Central and Loy Norrix.

The home stands at C.W. Post Field were clad in navy blue and gold, with the Battle Creek Central band and varsity cheer team welcoming back alumni to perform.

Kamila Brown, head cheer coach for Battle Creek Central, said it is important that graduates always feel they can return home and show their Bearcat pride.

“This cheer program is bigger than cheering, it’s life changing for some,” Brown said. “I’ve been doing this over 10 years because it’s hard to leave and it means so much to these young people. It’s the tradition and we’re trying to bring the Bearcat Pride back to our district. It really means a lot to have our alumni back here supporting our Bearcats.”