Wade Hampton Gets Fired Up For Eastside Week

The bell toned loud and clear Tuesday through the halls of School around midday, sending throngs of students into the cafeteria for lunch. 

The students were met by Student Body President Annie McCuen, who paced and weaved her way through the waves of students as they made their way to the lunch room, urging them to throw an extra buck or two toward this Spirit Week's cause. There was Bojangles on sale. And Pebble Creek Pizza. And baked goods. 

"I want the best jail ever this period," McCuen said to a group of students before the onrush. 

She's referencing Eastside Week's famous "jail," tradition, decades strong, where students are confined by their friends. The imprisoned students' freedom comes at a cost - and the cash goes directly to the cause. 

Each year, Eastside and Wade Hampton select different charities, and compete against each other to see who can raise the most money, with the winner being announced at halftime of Friday's football game between the two cross-town rivals. 

McCuen said the Spirit Week festivities, which include everything from a local take on the show "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?," to a buffalo wing eating contest, represent months of planning. 

"We spent all summer working out the events," McCuen said. "We had everything completely planned two months ago." 

WHHS Principal Lance Radford said students are aiming for another $200,000 output after raising more than $211,000 a year ago. This year, the Generals are raising money for the Meyer Center, a facility in Greenville that provides services for special needs children. 

"We kicked off everything on Friday with two assemblies, and let them see some of the kids from the Meyer Center so they see what it was all about, so they could really see the need" Radford said. "They're all pumped about it." 

Since then, a massive yard sale, the burning of an Eagle in effigy, a bonfire, mud wrestling and numerous other unique events have been held to raise money for the cause. 

see the entire calendar of events at Wade Hampton for this year's Spirit Week.