Janice Collins 1959-60
I was on the Peppy Pilots committee and one of our projects was to create art pieces to encourage cheering on East’s sports teams. We created this art in Becky Williamson’s art studio, i.e. basement. Primarily, these carefully crafted pieces were displayed at football and basketball games; they inspired loud cheers! One time a few of us took an art piece and crowded into a corner on the deck of East’s original swimming pool to encourage our swim team.
One item that was not created at Becky’s was a huge reinforced rod and chicken wire heart welded by Ed Collins at his 539 N. Mead warehouse. Our committee spent hours stuffing the sculpture with toilet paper to display at the homecoming football game. It was beautiful!
We Peppy Pilots rode in the bed of a truck, securing the heart as Ed drove us to the football stadium at Wichita University. A norther had blown in with at least 30 mph winds, so it was a journey made with great determination. The big heart sat in the cold wind during the first half of the game, so when it was finally taken to the center of the field during halftime, a substantial amount of the toilet paper was either gone or streaming out from the frame.
The king and queen were crowned. Most of the spectators left the stands. But the Peppy Pilots remained huddled together until the bitter end. Don’t ask me if we won or lost the game or how the heart found its way back to the warehouse. I was so cold I could barely walk.
Out in the cold, from left – Glenna Stearman, Floyd Watson, Dallas Crump, Kay Brinnon, and Dan Kinney.
This story was originally published here in October 2020.
