Big Red had a pretty memorable summer outing. On July 9, McCaskey High School’s mascot joined more than 100 characters at Hersheypark’s inaugural All-American Mascot Day. The gathering brought together mascots representing high schools, colleges and universities, sports teams and community organizations.
The day’s main event was a parade through Founder’s Way and Hershey’s Chocolatetown. The Hershey Characters led the procession alongside George the Star and The Keystone Kid, the official mascots of America250 and America250PA.
Big Red greeted visitors, posed for photos and proudly carried the Red Tornado spirit through the park.
At McCaskey, Big Red is a familiar presence around the High School campus. A mascot’s job may look simple from the stands, but bringing a character to life takes energy, timing and the ability to connect with a crowd without saying a word. The Hersheypark gathering gave Big Red an opportunity to meet other performers and see how mascots from across the region represent their schools, teams and organizations.
The setting came with plenty of mascot history, too. Hersheypark’s original candy characters first appeared in 1974 and helped establish the chocolate-centered identity visitors recognize today. According to a history of the characters published by Hersheypark, Reese, Hershey’s Bar and Hershey’s Kiss were the first product characters approved for the park.
More than 50 years later, those characters remain a central part of the Hersheypark experience. The first All-American Mascot Day expanded that tradition by bringing dozens of other characters together for a day devoted to school spirit, community pride and a little friendly mascot mischief.
Big Red returned to Lancaster with plenty of photos, a few new mascot friends and another memorable chapter in McCaskey’s summer.