24th Annual Sweet Onion Cheer Classic Proves a Moment of Unity Amid Hurricane Recovery Efforts

Courtesy of VHS

The 24th Annual Sweet Onion Cheer Classic, sponsored by Paul Thigpen Automotive Group, took place on Saturday, October 12, and brought together 30 teams from across the state. Local teams from J.R. Trippe, Vidalia, Toombs County Middle School, and Toombs Varsity competed, receiving overwhelming support from the community.

This year’s event held special significance, as it occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which left our community in need of recovery. Great consideration was given to whether or not to host the event; however, the administration supported moving forward with the hope that it would serve as a moment of unity continued from page

and resilience for our Sweet Onion City.

Coaches were asked to prepare to feed their teams outside of Vidalia due to the limited resources as the community was under recovery efforts. In a heartwarming display of solidarity, every school that participated in the event brought in supplies to support our community’s recovery.

Coach Toole, “We are incredibly grateful to the schools that showed such generosity,” including Brunswick, Calvary Day, Camden, Dodge, East Laurens, Long, Metter, Pierce, Richmond Hill, Screven, Southeast Bulloch, Tattnall, Ware, Waycross, and West Laurens. Their donations of supplies have truly overwhelmed us and demonstrated the power of community and support during challenging times.

Thank you to everyone involved for making this event not just a competition but a symbol of hope and strength.