More than 200 Boothbay Region High School students showed up for school before 6 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 for the a huge pep rally, the finale of the WGME School Spirit Challenge the school has been participating in since early January.

WGME news anchor Jeff Peterson came to the school to lead the students in a celebration of Boothbay Region High School. The pep rally ran from 6 to 8 a.m., with group games, a routine by the Lady Dribblers, tons of cheering and different sports teams performing routines. There was even a game between the boys and girls basketball teams.

A portion of the Seahawk Symphonic Band played during the rally. Music included the “Rocky” theme music and a medley of tunes by Queen.

The pep rally is the end of the school's efforts to raise money and food for the Good Shepard Food Bank, which partners with the local Boothbay Region Food Pantry. In total, the school raised over $4,000, which equals around 20,000 pounds of food, according to Principal Dan Welch.

“These kids did amazing,” Welch said. “They really worked hard and I couldn't be prouder of what they've done.”

Teams performing included the Seahawk cheerleaders, Nordic ski, the wrestling team, the swim team, and the boys and girls basketball teams. Numerous games were played, including a frozen T-shirt relay and a donut-on-a-string game.

The teachers also got in on the action, performing “Man of Constant Sorrow” in farmer gear, including long beards and overalls. The kids cheered them on and joined in the dancing.

“I think it's a great example of the spirit of our community coming together to help others in need, and enjoying themselves while they do it,” Superintendent Eileen King said. “It's a perfect example of the Boothbay region and I'm really proud of them.”

A Seahawk quilt handmade by Lynn Welch was also raffled off. The winner was Karen Barter.

Also attending the rally were Becky Wright from the Good Shepherd Food Bank and Lauren Reeves, representing the Maine Credit Unions, which help sponsor the school spirit challenge.

“This is our second year partnering with WGME on this,” Reeves said. “Since 1990 the Maine Credit Unions have worked to end hunger, and we've raised over $5.9 million for the cause and 100 percent of the money raised goes towards ending hunger.”

According to Reeves, there are 60 credit unions in Maine and about 95 percent of them are involved in the cause.

Boothbay region was competing against eight other schools, including Mt. Ararat, Gould Academy, Kents Hill, Cony High, McAuley, St. Dominic’s, Lake Region and Winslow.

The winning school will be announced on March 6. That school wins the coveted Spirit Cup Trophy, and the top three finishers are recognized by WGME.

Previous winners have included Sanford High School, which collected 93,729 pounds, Wiscasset High School, which collected 58,662 pounds and Biddeford High School, which collected 42,855 pounds.