Thousands of students, athletes, band members and football fans commemorated Labor Day weekend by celebrating diversity and education during several events associated with the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney.
The kick off started on Thursday at Evans High School in Orlando with the ESPN 101 career panel. Hundreds of students were encouraged to dream, set goals, discover educational opportunities and explore career possibilities in the sports industry.
The celebration continued Saturday with a fan appreciation day at Magic Kingdom Park featuring the “Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South” from the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB) and the “Marching 101” from South Carolina State University (SCSU). Later that evening, alumni from the schools who have made outstanding contributions in sports were honored during the MEAC/SWAC Legends Reception.
“The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is more than a kick off to the college football season,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of Corporate Citizenship for Walt Disney World Resort. “It truly is a weekend of events to celebrate the importance of diversity and education.”
Prior to the game on Sunday, Disney huddled with LIFT Orlando to spotlight the rich African-American history and heritage of the six West Lakes neighborhoods around the Orlando Citrus Bowl. This community family event included entertainment, food and some special Disney magic.
Televised on the ESPN network, the gridiron match up between two historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) gave the SCSU Bulldogs from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) a 35-7 victory over the UAPB Golden Lions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) before thousands of spectators at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.
Since its inception, the MEAC/SWAC Challenge has showcased 14 HBCU institutions, and Disney is proud to have HBCU alumni among its Cast Members.