This Friday, Jan. 17, the Westside Athletic Club will put on the annual spirit night at the boy’s varsity basketball game against Bellevue West High School. The game will include multiple giveaways, including free Westside shirts for the first 200 fans to arrive and a half-court shot for three lucky attendees. Westside Athletic Director Tom Kerkman said the fun night is no simple task.

“It takes a lot of work,” Kerkman said. “We have many parent volunteers that put in a lot of time.”

Kerkman said the spirit night is a creative way to draw a large crowd.

“We have to think outside of the box to get people to come and support our teams,” Kerkman said. “Especially in the winter when it’s dark and cold all the time.”

Kerkman said he encourages people to come to the game and said that better attendance helps make the game more energetic.

“It helps the environment, [makes] the crowds louder and it makes it more fun for the kids playing,” Kerkman said.

Sophomore Payson Gillespie plays on Westside’s boy’s varsity basketball team. Gillespie said students should try to encourage their friends to attend the game so the team receives a good turnout.

“More people will bring more energy to the game, and more people will come,” Gillespie said.

Gillespie said having a larger, supportive crowd is especially important for this game.

“Bellevue West is a good team,“ Gillespie said. “So we need all the fans we can get.”