Honk your horns for PT, Chimacum spring athletes

Memorial Field ‘Shines the Light’ April 17

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The community will have a chance to show its support for local student athletes, while still practicing safe social distancing, at the Jefferson County Memorial Athletic Field in downtown Port Townsend on Friday, April 17.

The Port Townsend and Chimacum high schools are joining the statewide movement to "Shine the Light '' on those spring sport athletes who lost their season due to the stay-at-home order to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Lysa Falge, athletic director for Port Townsend High School and Blue Heron Middle School, said the Memorial Athletic Field lights would be turned on at precisely 8:20 p.m., or 2020 hours in 24-hour military time, for 20 minutes as a gesture of support for all the 2020 spring sport athletes, including golf, tennis, track and field, soccer, baseball and softball.

“There will be no opportunity to gather, as we still need to respect social distancing guidelines, but we will ask folks to feel free to take a drive by the stadium, and honk their horns to show their support for all the athletes who stayed home to keep us all safe,” Falge said.

Memorial Field, a recreation facility owned and operated by Jefferson County, is also closed to the public due to the novel coronavirus.

On April 6, the Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association announced it had received clarification from Gov. Jay Inslee’s office that his stay-at-home order includes the cancellation of all in-person extracurricular athletics and activities through the end of this school year. This includes all regular season contests and practices, as well as all postseason tournaments and championship events.

“The WIAA Executive Board and the WIAA Staff feel for those students around the state that have had their seasons or careers cut short,” WIAA Executive Director Mick Hoffman said. “This terrible disease has not only prevented students from creating lifelong memories through competition, it has limited the valuable lessons gained through participation in education-based athletics and activities.”