Why Wall Rocks Series – #5 Community Spirit

Happy October! It’s time to fall into fall. This month WEDC will share yet another reason why Wall Rocks – Community spirit. Community spirit could be seen throughout Wall during WHS Homecoming week. A new community event, Wheelin’ to Wall, highlighted community spirit and the spirit of giving back.

 Wall High School Homecoming Week

Last week the Wall community celebrated WHS Homecoming. This year’s theme was “Throwback.” Homecoming week was filled with exciting activities including: pep rallies, a Coronation ceremony, a bonfire, a flag football game, volleyball games, a homecoming variety show, a parade, a community appreciation supper, and, of course, the Homecoming football game.

Each year, WHS Homecoming is not confined to the walls of the school system. Homecoming is a community-wide celebration, and this is another reason Wall rocks!

WEDC was invited to participate in Monday’s Homecoming week pep-rally. The Student Council allowed us to visit and wish the students a happy Homecoming, help promote the Wall-Badlands Area Chamber of Commerce’s Homecoming Appreciation Supper, and throw out 2017 Wall Crawl t-shirts.

The Homecoming spirit was brimming throughout the entire community! Several businesses decorated their front entrances to help celebrate Homecoming week. The Everybody Walks! SD @Wall walk celebrated Homecoming by holding a special “Throwback” walk. Several community members enjoyed the Homecoming show, which featured “Throwback” videos and live Student Council skits.

The Homecoming parade brought the community together to celebrate. Students, community organizations and businesses showed off their creativity by creating “Throwback” themed parade floats. The class of 2020 invited Wall School alumni to represent their WHS graduation year. They had alumni from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s and 2010’s. It was truly amazing to see how many WHS graduates live and work right here in Wall. Wall really rocks!

4th Avenue Floral helped celebrate Homecoming week by holding a Fall Festival. The festival was a pop-up event for several area entrepreneurs featuring: Hired Hands Massage by Megan Hoffman, Pink Zebra sales by Stephanie Volmer, Silver Sage Designs and SASS Traveling Boutique by Kerry Hostetler, homemade items from Peggy Lurz, doTERRA Aroma Touch from Pam Dale, artwork from Lorna Moore, Wall Nail Bar by Judy Goldhammer, Usborne Books by Janet Sharp, Décor by Barb Reckling, Wood Signs by Rebecca Lytle, handmade baby items from Angela Lytle, Nutritional Supplements and Norwex from Terry Holman, and baked goods by Marit Clawson. While people were in town for Homecoming, they had an opportunity to visit our local entrepreneurs. What an amazing way to celebrate our community!

Celebrating Homecoming week throughout the community is a Wall tradition. Not every student, parent, teacher, employee or business owner is allowed this experience in other communities! We are lucky to live in a small, close-knit community that is proud of its school, its students, its teachers and the entire community. We are proud to be Eagles and we do not hide our Eagle pride!

Thank you to the Wall School, Student Council, athletic teams, coaches, teachers, administrators, business owners, employees, and community members for showing that Wall really rocks during WHS Homecoming 2017!

If you, your family members or someone you know visited Wall during Homecoming week and would like to make Wall a permanent home, please contact WEDC. We can help connect you with housing, business and job opportunities, community events and organizations, and much more!

Wheelin’ to Wall

On Saturday, September 30th, Charon Geigle organized and hosted the first annual Wheelin’ to Wall event. Wheelin’ to Wall offered four cycling rides from which to choose: a 100-mile ride, a 38-mile ride, a 25-mile ride and a 10-mile ride through the beautiful Badlands National Park.

The Wheelin’ to Wall ride grew from the community collaboration project, Marketing Hometown America, that Wall completed in March. The initial idea was to host a marathon or half-marathon through the Badlands National Park. With discussion and collaboration, it was decided to hold a biking event instead. Charon took the idea and made it a reality!

Wheelin’ to Wall hosted 34 participants who chose one of the four riding distances. Participants came from Sturgis, Pierre, Rapid City, Dupree, Woonsocket, Letcher, Mitchell, Lead, Wall, Gillette, Sioux Falls and Hot Springs. Wheelin’ to Wall brought people into the community to stay in local hotels, eat at local restaurants, fuel up at local gas stations and shop in local stores!

The walk-ability and bike-ability of the Wall community was a top theme among Marketing Hometown America participants. The overall goal of Wheelin’ to Wall was to create an event that will raise funds to improve the infrastructure and safety for walking and biking in Wall. Charon donated $500 to the City of Wall to be used for said improvements. Charon, the Wall Chamber and Wall Economic Development plan to gather community members to discuss what project to move forward with first to improve the walkability and bike-ability of Wall. Charon plans to continue Wheelin’ to Wall for years to come.

This is true community spirit! A community member was empowered to make something happen, made the ideas a reality and gave back to help improve the community. Wall really rocks!

As always, thank you for being such a great community. It is because of you we have it all in Wall!

Cheyenne McGriff
WEDC Executive Director
(605) 279-2658
walledd@gwtc.net