At the recent WHS football booster club meeting, we discussed our preparations for the upcoming Homecoming (HoCo) Parade. To our surprise, we learned through an emailed memo that Willis Independent School District (WISD) has decided this year, all students participating in the parade must remain on the floats. Specifically, no students will be allowed to walk alongside their team, club, or activity floats. This decision was purportedly made due to unspecified safety concerns.

As a community, we cherish our long-standing tradition of the Homecoming Parade. For over 16 years, this event has been a vibrant celebration of school spirit, local pride, and community interaction. Not once in its history has there been an incident of harm to any students who walked the parade route. Moreover, walking has always given our high school students the opportunity to engage directly with the community, particularly the children, by handing out candy and sharing smiles.

This human interaction is at the heart of what makes the parade special. Our students are not mere participants, but active connectors who bridge generations and foster community bonds. By remaining on floats, we lose the personal touch and the joyful engagement that make the parade memorable for both parade-goers and participants.

Safety is paramount, and we absolutely support measures that ensure the well-being of all involved. However, we believe there are numerous strategies that can be implemented to maintain safety without foregoing the interaction and tradition that make the parade so meaningful. These could include increased supervision, well-marked boundaries for participants, or a review of existing safety protocols.

This restriction will also be detrimental to many programs that simply do not have the funds to build a float or build several floats; like the football program for example, which already has 3 floats for Freshman, JV, & Varsity, but they do not accommodate all the athletes. What about the marching band? They are the heart and soul of the parade. So will the marching band not be allowed to march in the parade either? 

We urge the decision-makers of WISD to reconsider their stance. Let us work together to devise a plan that satisfies safety requirements while preserving the spirit and tradition of our HoCo Parade. If revised, this decision will not only uphold the cherished traditions of Willis but also enhance community relations by allowing our students to walk alongside their floats.

We need your support to keep the spirit of Willis alive in our Homecoming Parade. Sign this petition to ask WISD to allow our students to walk in the parade, enriching the experience for everyone involved while continuing to uphold our community customs and safety. Let’s keep our traditions vibrant by enabling engagement, connection, and festive participation. Wildkats Never Die!!

💜 🖤 🤍💜🖤🤍💜🖤🤍💜🖤🤍💜🖤🤍 

Thank you for your time and support!!