Douglas High celebrates homecoming

The Douglas High School homecoming parade Wednesday evening may have been short, but it was long on spirit.

The parade was restarted in 2017 after the previous year’s Fall Festival was a success.

The Douglas Tigers are scheduled to play the Galena Grizzlies on Friday night where the Fall Homecoming King and Queen would be named.

Former Douglas High School Athletic Director Steve Wilcox, who retired in 2005, was named to the Douglas Hall of Fame. Douglas High School 2005 graduate and skier, horsewoman Haley Donnatin Hastie was the student added to the Hall of Fame.

Douglas Class of 1994’s Mena Dedmon was coordinating the Homecoming effort at Minden Park.

“This is an event that brings so much of our community together,” Dedmon said. “For people who get to work there now, who came from Douglas, it brings both ends of our lives together. We get to see old friends, get to hang out with our kids, hang out with our new friends. It’s kind of what Douglas County is about.”

The homecoming court was the centerpiece of the parade that featured members of the Tiger Marching Band, the cheer and volleyball squad, and the state champion girls golf team, among others.

“Look at how cool this is for the kids,” Dedmon said. “They get to plan stuff and do things for the community. It’s a nice example of what young people can do.”

Two food trucks were on hand for the event serving barbecue and sweets.

For years the homecoming parade would travel from Minden Park to the high school and then around the football field.

But when Douglas installed the new football field the tradition went by the wayside for nearly a decade.