COMMUNITY SUPPORT
by Megan Diane Beatty • megan@lhtxdigest.com photos courtesy John Cearly
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS WITH THE
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olks in Liberty Hill might be spread out but, as Clint Stephenson says, everyone comes together for Friday night football games. That’s how the Panther Pit Crew started its fundraising efforts for students—as a group of dudes who gathered simply to hold tailgate parties before games. Clint and fellow co-founder Scott Supak started tailgating and cooking at the old high school stadium behind the Liberty Hill Elementary School. “We’d give away food and stuff and tried to change the atmosphere and bring the community together,” Clint says. “We're just a group of really good guys who like doing stuff for the community.” After 15 friends jumped on board, the Panther Pit Crew was established as a nonprofit to raise money for students. The group has more than doubled since then, despite last year's "virtual-everything" challenges.
THE TAILGATES Throughout the year, the Crew holds tailgate parties pepped up by cheerleaders and the school band, and student
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groups can earn points by showing their school spirit through games like corn hole, ring toss, and pie-in-the-face. Crew members have their own fun by cooking all sorts of delicious dishes, from buffalo chicken wings, rib-eye steaks and jalapeno poppers to fajitas and deep-fried corn dogs. Tailgates take place before football games, but the Crew has reached out to all types of school clubs, from robotics and cross-country to cheerleaders and Project Graduation. In 2020, the Crew... Increased the number of teams participating in their annual golf tournament and raised $17,000. Held a Virtual Tailgate contest; student groups and organizations submitted videos to make their case for grant money. Members successfully recruited and doubled their membership. This is a sign, President John Cearly says, that there are always more individuals looking for ways to support the schools and the community.
THE MISSION John says the Crew is very excited to have tailgates in person this year. "Last year was tough for us because we were unable to get out face-toface to promote our brand and talk about all the great things we are planning and doing for the community. We are looking forward to having bigger and more resourceful tailgates this year."
