BELOIT, Wis. (WIFR) - Greek, military appreciation and pride are some of the theme nights at bucks games this season. Now four high school students hope to make “Inside-Out” night at the forum a reality.
The Milwaukee Bucks asked students across the state to come up with a “theme night”. After Bucks management reviewed all the submissions, only three were left...And of those top three, Jaheim Harrell, Griffin Oberneder, Paul Allen and Ryan Mechanic from Beloit Memorial High School came out on top.
“I’m glad that we can raise awareness and try and make people feel more comfortable about the issues that they deal with in their own heads,” says Allen.
Their proposed idea is an “Inside-Out” theme night where the entire crowd would wear their attire inside out to promote mental health awareness. The students will be recognized at Wednesday night’s game against the grizzlies and this slam dunk of an idea will be revealed to bucks fans at halftime.
“I have friends and family that suffer from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, so knowing my project won and got handpicked by the bucks and is getting recognized at the bucks game means a lot,” Harrell says.
The high school’s business department usually takes a yearly trip to the Fiserv Forum where the Bucks play. But this year’s trip has special meaning with the addition of this marketing opportunity. Teacher Tony Capoziellos says the students were up to the task coming up with a theme night aligning with the team’s vision.
“The bucks are about helping the underdog, they’re about speaking out, and the kids actually fell on this idea pretty quickly, and I think they did a really nice job,” says Capoziellos.
On the application to submit a theme night, the Bucks say theme nights “generate revenue through ticket sales, create relationships for corporate partnerships and connect the communities not only in Milwaukee but all of Wisconsin in ways not otherwise possible.”
