Staff Writer Information provided by Vivian Themer and Stacie Weisberg The anticipation was proven well-merited when “Highstepper Legends” (from past school years, some a half-century ago) arrived at the Forney High School cafeteria for the 50th Anniversary Celebration! The Facebook announcement first hit the social media on July 20th to “Save the date for an FHS Highsteppers Legends Dinner,” hosted by the Highstepper Booster Club, and the posts quickly began! Past Highsteppers began sharing memories, pictures, and making plans to attend. The anticipated day finally arrived on Friday, August 25th!
The cafeteria was decorated in balloons, tinsel, and 50th Anniversary centerpieces, along with a designated area that was adorned with a Highstepper uniform for group pictures. The current Highsteppers greeted Legends as they walked in and escorted them to the appropriate check-in table. Excited Legends checked in and then received the legendary 50th Anniversary T-shirt, and most changed from the Jackrabbit t-shirts they were wearing to the anniversary t-shirts!! You could hear screams of excitement in the voices when Legends would see fellow Highsteppers whom they hadn’t seen in a while walk through doors! Memories were being shared, and laughter echoed in the room! The evening was just beginning, but the fun was already being shared!
Susan (Darden) Rigby, one of the first “Alumni” members to arrive, says that being a Highstepper was one of the highlights of my time at Forney High School. It provided me with friendships, structure, motivation, activities, and lots of fun. After 45 years, some of the memories are a little “fuzzy,” but there are plenty that will be with me forever. Some of the most memorable are the actual “try-outs,” both for “line” and later for “officer.” I am naturally a self-conscious, naturally shy person, but when the music started and the routines began, all the insecurities went away! The “drum-line” of the F. H. S. band was amazing, and on Friday nights when they started that drumbeat for us to march in, it made me feel special and important! We could just feel all the people in that stadium watching us in AWE–at least that is the way I remember it–Ha! Ha!
The most memorable performance for me was actually not because it was great, but because the weather was HORRIBLE. It was at Allen High School, when we were both still small towns, and it rained “cats and dogs!” The worst part about this was that we were to do a “high kick” routine, and we were wearing our boots that, once covered with mud, must have weighed at least ten pounds each! And, I am sure you can guess what happens when you kick a muddy boot high into the air–it goes sailing across the field. (What a mess!) Some of the other things that stay with me forever are the dance routines themselves. I can still remember most of the pompon routine to the Theme from ROCKY, the cute Spring Show routine to CARWASH, and the funny little dance we had to “Money Makes The World Go ‘Round!” My grown children have heard me say probably far too many times that “I had a routine to THAT SONG!” when one of our old tunes plays on the ‘70s Station.
We made life-long friends and great memories and also learned many “life lessons” while being a part of this SISTERHOOD, and I am so thankful that my friend, Vivian, talked me into “trying out” for the FORNEY HIGHSTEPPERS our sophomore year.
Stacie Weisberg, current Highstepper Director, and Rylie Vaught, current Assistant Director and past F. H. S. Highstepper, welcomed all and shared the schedule of events for the night. Dinner was a delicious bar-b-q meal, catered by Gasper and Clarisa Martinez, G & C’s Tejas BBQ. While the BBQ was being enjoyed, a video was shared that included different pictures of the Highsteppers over the past 50 years beginning with the first team, 1973/74. Donna (Hood) Lawler, the only atpeers tending original member of the first team, shared, “I enjoyed the 50-year celebration of the Forney Highsteppers and hearing about their accomplishments and many awards through the years. They have evolved into a team of beauty, talent, and perfection. I was on the first Highstepper Team in 1973–1974. We picked out the name, and the first uniform. It was so exciting to be a part of this new direction for our school. As time went by, I continued being a supporter when my sister was a Highstepper and then my daughter. We share so many wonderful memories. The relationships you build along the way are steadfast and true and so important to the person you become. In a small way, I feel I played a part in their successes, and I will always be a Highstepper and Jackrabbit in my heart!”
The video also included past and present Highstepper directors sharing their memories while directing and gave reasons for girls being Highsteppers! Vivian (Hood) Themer, a Highstepper from 1975-78 and a director from 2001-04, shared, “This is so special to celebrate 50 years of a group that meant and still means the world to me! I loved every moment being a Highstepper, and the memories just flooded my mind when I saw they were going to have this! I loved pep rallies, Friday nights, camps, competitions, painting posters for football players, Spring Shows, and, of course, dancing! I made so many long-lasting friends, and as I said in the video, it was/is definitely a sister-hood! I also felt the same when I directed. The team was small when I took over, and my goal was to ‘grow’ the team. Girls wanted to dance, so we did that! We had a walk-on team, and just like that, the team started growing. When I left in 2004, there were 42 girls on the Highsteppers, and it looks like it just keeps growing! Tonight is wonderful, and by the size of the attendance, the sisterhood continues!”
Rachel (Lawler) Calvery says that the Highstepper Organization holds a special place in my heart. The memories and friendships I made during my time as a Highstepper will last forever. It was a joy being able to catch up with girls whom I haven’t seen in a while during the 50th year celebration. Being around them brought back great memories and reminded me of the fun we used to have. It felt like coming home, stepping out onto the field, and reliving so many past Friday nights. Not only did I get to enjoy it with fellow teammates but my Mom and Aunt, as well, who were fellow Highsteppers. I know that the organization will continue to bring joy to the lives of many students and can’t wait to see the amazing things they will do.
Janet (Foster) McName shares the following: When I was a Forney Highstepper, it was an incredible experience. We went to camp, had practices at school, and worked hard so that we could learn the routines. I wanted to do my very best to learn them with no mistakes. The Pep Rallies and performing in front of my was so much fun! Then the anticipation of Friday night’s performance at halftime of the game was scary and also exhilarating! There were weeks that I was named “Highstepper of the Week,” and that was special in knowing that I had done my very best and that it was noticed. The sisterhood that developed was an added bonus beyond just being friends with the girls. I feel so blessed to have been able to experience this journey in high school!
I was thankful for the 50th Anniversary Legends Dinner. It gave us a chance to see friends we have not seen in years and to meet others for the first time and hear their experiences. The food was delicious! It was great watching the video of Directors throughout the years and hearing their stories!
And Misty (Costlow) Holler adds–I was a Forney Highstepper from 1998 to 2000, and I have so many great high school memories that stem from, or are somehow related to, being a Highstepper! The competitions, pep rallies, parades, and of course the Friday night halftime performances were such fun experiences. Even more important than the memories, though, I was able to come away from those years with some great friendships as well.
The Highstepper Legends dinner was such a unique opportunity to see and visit with ladies, who had been Highsteppers of so many graduating classes– some whom I met in adulthood but didn’t realize had also been Highsteppers. It was so special to hear from past instructors and to join the current Highsteppers in welcoming the football team onto the field for the first game of the season. After the delicious dinner, memories-filled video, and visiting, the current Highsteppers headed to the field, and the Legends followed! They were allowed to join the victory line with the Highsteppers, and also joined in performing the hand routine to the fight song. After the mighty Jackrabbits ran through the tough-looking rabbit blowup, and the choir’s singing of the Star-Spangled Banner, the Legends followed the current Highsteppers to the stands and enjoyed the game! It was a memorable night, and the Jackrabbits beat the Crandall Pirates, 64-10!
In addition to current Highsteppers, those “LEGENDS” attending, according to the list submitted, were the following: Hanna Bateman (2007), Jenna Beard (2007), Allie Beddingfield (2013), Natalie Bennett (2010), Kelsey Boyd (2015), Kasey Burgan (2014), Rachel Calvery (2005), Emily Carroll (2014), Lauren Courcy (2011), Lucy Fanselow (2014), Morgan Ferrell (2015), Courtney Garner (2015), Haley Gaskill (2013), Heather Girdley (2008), Lexie Goodwin (2015), Adyson Gray (2018), Payton Hays (2016), Hannah Hickman (2015), Misty Holler (2002), Donna Lawler (1974), Mallorie McFarlin (2019), Janet Mc-Name (1983), Jaide Odom (2020), Jordan Perkins (2016), Paige Pring (2014), Susan Rigby (1978), Alexis Sandeno (2015), Megan Sikes (2014), Courtney Sims (2001), Lori Spradley (1992), Megan Stalsworth (2022), Lindsey Teefey (2006), Vivian Themer (1978), Leslie Thomas (2006), Rylie Vaught (2011), Kyler Willis (2022), Savannah Zelinski (2006), and Brittani Zmolik (2006).
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