HAZLETON, Pa. -- It’s the last Friday night of August and it's the start of football season for many school districts.
One school district made sure it was an evening fans would not soon forget.
The Hazleton Area School District threw a first time ever tailgate before the game kicked off and school officials arranged for a unique way to deliver the game ball to the field.
It was a tailgate fit for a professional football game, complete with a portable wood fire pizza oven.
However, this wasn't a pre-NFL party.
The Cougar Pre-Game Tailgate Party was to mark the start the football season for the Hazleton Area School District as the Cougars were set to face off against Pottsville.
Carrie Drasher's son is playing his first varsity game.
“This is really nice. This is definitely nice to build up,” said Drasher. “We didn't have this in the past so it's really nice that we're building something that the whole entire community can come together to build something up like this.”
The school's athletic director said they wanted to do something special for fans.
“Get something to try to get people to come out a little earlier, but to make this a happening rather than just a football game,” said Fred Barletta. “The focus is football, no question about it but we want people to have fun.”
But what really made the night unforgettable was the opening ceremonies before kick-off.
Organizers arranged to have the coin for the coin toss, the American flag and the game ball delivered by sky divers. Yes, sky divers.
“She brought in the game ball. She's not pregnant,” yelled the announcer, as the woman sky diver landed, with the game ball bulging under her jumpsuit.
Tony Colombo is a city councilman and member of the Hazleton Heights Fire Company which covered the costs for the sky divers, so no there was no cost to the school district or city.
“The only thing we had to worry about covering was the insurance in case something would happen,” said Colombo. “So what we did, the fire department, we had a little stuff on the side, fundraisers that we took care of that.”
The cheerleading team took advantage to do some fundraising
“It's important to that unity in the community where people donate to you and then you get to get that uniform that you need especially when you don't have the money to buy it,” said cheerleader Anna Perez.
And the athletic director says the fee charged to the vendors to sell food went to the athletic department to cover any losses at the concession stands.