The cheer team and drumline performed for the students at the Kansas State School for the Blind in Kansas City, KS, Friday, Sept. 21 at their KC Blind All-Stars Walk and Student Track Meet for their annual field day.

The students had the opportunity to visit the school because sophomore Brynna Dow’s father, Peter Dow, is on the board of directors for the school. The board was brainstorming ideas of fun, interactive things the students could participate in and decided to reach out to the drummers and cheerleaders according to drum line director Elizabeth Mulkey.

Drum line participated in the procession at the beginning and played during the races at the finish line. They stayed at the school for an hour according to Mulkey. The cheerleaders also attended the event and helped the drum line hype the kids up.

“When we arrived, we waited outside the entrance while the students came out,” drum major senior Tempest Malone said. “Then we played them onto the field, and they followed behind. We played cadences to hype up the crowd during the races.”

At the end of the race, the runners listened for the drums to know how much further they had to run. Mulkey said it was neat to watch because they also had ropes for them to hold onto to keep them on the track.

Sophomore cheerleader Paxton Meismer was one of the six cheerleaders that attended the event. According to Meismer, they helped lead the children down to the track with the drum line. She was impressed by the students drive as well as athletic ability at the meet.

“It was amazing to see kids of all ages overcoming their disabilities and performing in a sport that is very difficult for the visually impaired,” Meismer said. “Tons of the kids were so insanely fast, and it really showed me how they don’t let their disabilities stop them.”

Malone, Meismer, and cheerleader junior Caroline Knopke said they were all very impressed with their passion and ability to participate in the race even when they are visually impaired.

“It was really cool to see how they just trusted themselves to run without actually being able to see where they were going,” Knopke said.

Not only did the blind students get to participate in a fun and different event, but the drummers and cheerleaders also got to experience the fun and gain a greater appreciation for the school’s mission according to Malone. Malone hadn’t heard of the Kansas State School for the Blind, but as soon as she learned what the school’s values were, she began to realize how important representation and equal opportunity are.

“The students were really excited to hear the drums, and I think that they really liked being able to get hyped for their events,” Malone said. “It was honestly really great to do something for another school and for such a great cause.”