Fredericktown students sing during seventh inning stretch

The Fredericktown Elementary School second grade honor choir shows up to the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball game in style, carrying bags and wearing shirts and hats all made and donated by Cap America.

The Fredericktown Elementary School second grade honor choir students attended a St. Louis Cardinals Baseball game recently and had the privilege of leading the crowd in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch.

This is the second year students have been able to attend a game and sing. Music Teacher Sarah Stacy said she wanted to continue the tradition that was started last year. She asked Principal Joe Clauser if it would be possible, and he said if she would sell the tickets he would drive the bus.

“Many students don’t often have the opportunity to attend a professional sporting event, much less perform at one,” Clauser said. “Thanks to the generous donations of Cap America and an anonymous donor, we were able to cover most of the costs for every student, so even if they weren’t able to afford the ticket and shirt, they still had the chance to go.”

Clauser said, families were encouraged to purchase tickets and attend the game with their students with hope that they would have quality family time.

During the game, Ivy Smothers’ family was chosen as the family of the game.

“During one of the quick cut-aways they did on the scoreboard screen, they pulled her family aside, showed them on the screen, and announced that they were the family of the game,” Clauser said. “They received a gift card and 15 seconds of fame.”

FES student William Jordan said he enjoyed the experience because he got to sing on the ballfield. He said he enjoys singing so much.

“I had a wonderful honor choir trip and getting to share the experience with my family,” FES student Sophia Durr said. “The goody bags were a great surprise too. Thank you to the school and my family.”

The school thanked Cap America for its donation of drawstring bags, shirts, and hats. Students were able to pack their lunches, snacks, and water in the bags so they had plenty to eat.

“I heard comments about how nice our group looked with their matching shirts and hats,” Clauser said. “It was a nice touch. It also helped us keep track of the group as we moved around the stadium.”

Clauser said he would like to thank the parents for purchasing tickets and shirts to support the trip. Money raised from the sale of tickets and shirts paid for transportation, food, and expenses for the students who participated.

“I would also like to thank Missy Bowman and Angie Starkey for helping with food and supervision,” Clauser said. “They came in early to cook and wrap the hot dogs, and they donated some of the snacks that we provided, second grade teachers Sarah Burlison and Amber Parish for chaperoning, and music teacher Sarah Stacy for working so hard with the students to make sure they sounded and looked great.”

The district would also like to thank the St. Louis Cardinals for providing this opportunity for its students.

“I loved seeing the kids’ excitement,” Stacy said. “We have been talking about this since December when they auditioned for Honor Choir. Seeing it all finally fall into place for this group of kids was a great final memory for me this year.”