Hershey High School - Choclatier Yearbook (Hershey, PA)

Page 12 text:

RUNNERS FROM HERSHEY HIGH DAVID SATTAZAHN, RICHARD RICE, LEONARD YVAGNER, ANTHONY SELVAGGX, HAROLD BRANDT, PAUL Hass, W1LIiIAM SEITZINGER, ELLIS KREIDER, FRANCIS PIZZINGRILLI, VVILLIAM BQMGARDNEII, WILLIAM KISHPAUGII, PAUL RIIoADs, HARRY KING, CARL BAUM, GENTINO SULLO. Courtesy fy' Phila. Evening Bulletin RACE IENDS AT INDEPENDENCE HALL l3l physical fitness. The central theme denotes the ref sponsibility of the youthful citizen to keep himself physically fit, which is the greatest factor in the buildf ing of the high morale so necessary in our nation today. It is all a part of the greater Hale America Campaign which is attempting to make the nation conscious of its physical shortfcomings in all of its agefgroups. At 10:50 on Friday morning, October 31, the aluf minum baton started on its way across the state. The start of the run featured the historic flagship Niagara in Erie and the route planned included many of the spots made famous in Pennsylvania history. The run took ten actual days of running time, no running or ceremonies being held on Sundays. Disf tances covered during a day ranged from approxif mately twenty to seventy miles, no one boy running more than onefhalf mile. Methods used in selecting runners varied with the locality. The main difficulty encountered in most places was in finding the best method of eliminating many of those who wanted an opportunity to run but who could not be accepted. Mr. A. O. Brittain, Director of Athletics and Physif cal Education for the Hershey Schools, was charged with the responsibility of seeing that the baton with its pledge safely contained therein travelled from Hummelstown to Annville. That meant that he had to secure the services of approximately one hundred and ten runners. Most of those he could have secured from Hershey High School, but in fairness to members of neighboring schools, he selected eighteen from our own and obtained similar numbers from other of the numerous schools in the surrounding district. Selection of runners from our high school was made on the volunteer basis. That is, those were the in- tentions. Volunteers flocked in so thick and fast that it was necessary to change the plans. They finally drew lots to see which of the boys would represent the school by carrying the baton and which would be retained as alternates to replace those who failed to appear at the time designated. The school buses proved their worth in dropping and picking up runners along the route. The program went without a hitch. In fact, our runners were just a bit too fast and finished their course somewhat ahead of schedule. The boys who participated in the run were pref sented with certificates indicating that fact, certificates which they will value, for they had a part in an event which is, thus far, unique in the history of the nation. The Physical Fitness Run came to a conclusion on Armistice Day at Independence Hall in Philadelphia when the last schoolboy runner in the chain handed the baton with its message to Mayor Samuel of Phila' delphia and to John B. Kelly, Assistant Director of Civilian Defense, Division of Physical Fitness. The run served its purpose, but we must not forget our part in the pledge of Pennsylvania youth, the . . . promise to keep myself physically fit, because it is my first responsibility as a citizen.

Page 11 text:

OVER HILL, O ER D LE i l Courlcxy of Erie Daily Timm Ram: STARTS FROM PI-:nav FL.msnxi' Nxaaaaa . . . ran 1200 school athletes delivering individually in a novel way this pledge to the President of the United States of America: I pledge allegiance to the United States of America, and promise to keep myself physically fit, because it is my first responsibility as a citizen. From the flagship Niagara in Erie in the northwest to Independence Hall, Philadelphia, in the southwest, Keystone lads caught high the spirit em' bodied in that aluminum baton and gallantly relayed it across the State's highways. The run was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Inter' scholastic Athletic Association. To the Executive Secretary of that Association, Mr. Edmund Wicht, the Choclatier is indebted for illustrations appearing with this particular article, for the linefcut of the Governor's letter, for some of the material used for the endfsheetsg may we say that no one could have given more wholefhearted cooperation than did Mr. Wicht. The idea of the Physical Fitness Run was conceived by C. L. Walsh, Senior Supervisor of Physical Educaf tion in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. As developed, one of its purposes was to focus the attention of the people of the State of Pennsylvania upon the vital im' portance of sports and athletics in the development of Courtesy of Phila. Evening Bull CHARLES S. DAv1s, FOUNDICR OF P. A. A. Psssi-is Barox. lfl

Page 13 text:

411 feb-we N9l Pr- K 5 fx' be He W' fe-5' . F , ef' COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLV NIA GovERNoR's OFFACE HARmsBuRc THE GOVERNOR October 10, 1941 It makes me very happy to learn of the enthusiasm with which the program for a cross-State physical fitness run, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Asso- ciation, has been received. I have read with great interest the general plan for this run, which will cover the State from Erie to Philadelphia. I feel sure that it will do much to instill in the minds of our young Pennsylvanians the vital importance of keep- ing fit. From the time the run begins on Friday, October 31, until it ends on Tuesday, November llth, at Independence Hall, I feel certain that , the citizens of the Keystone State will watch it with great interest, cheering on the participants who will carry in a metal baton a pledge of personal physical fitness from the youth of Pennsylvania. This splendid patriotic athletic event deserves the wholehearted support of us all, what- ever our age. 9