Students, local residents, dogs, and young children gathered at Hunnewell Fields Oct. 17 to celebrate Wellesley High School’s homecoming weekend. The third annual Raiders’ Day included everything from pumpkin painting to “wrestle a wrestler” to a hot dog truck.
Academic clubs, athletic teams, and other student organizations set up tables to introduce visitors to their activities.
Students came together to support the Raiders during Friday night’s football game before continuing the celebrations at Raiders’ Day on Saturday before the homecoming dance. The Raiders lost 31-6 against the Newton North Tigers.
Kyra Torrijos, a junior organizer of the event, said Raiders’ Day also serves as a reminder that school spirit is more than athletics and allows everyone to feel connected even if they aren’t an athlete.
“It’s that interconnecting thing that brings people together,” Torrijos said.
Senior Ella Wigren, said she was eager to create a sense of unity among students with different interests.
“I think school spirit is all about community and bringing people together,” Wigren said.
Raiders’ Day also gives high school students an opportunity to showcase the clubs and organizations that might otherwise go unnoticed by the wider community.
“Raiders’ Day is a great place to showcase that and to get people more involved in clubs and organizations that they wouldn’t really know of,” Wigren said.
Torrijos said the event is also helpful in bringing together students across grade levels, including younger students who may eventually attend Wellesley High School.
The event has grown over the past three years, with more clubs, sports teams, and performance groups participating, said Julie Caparco, a co-advisor of the Student Unification Program (SUP).
“Raiders’ Day began as the brainchild of our class of 2025 officers,” Caparco said. “It was what they wanted to have their legacy be.”
SUP organizes schoolwide community-building and school spirit events. The program is led by advisors Caparco and Leah Marshall, along with Wigren, a senior leader, and Torrijos.
Torrijos, 16, said SUP plays a central role in coordinating participation of the organizations and advertising the event to the school community.
Torrijos said SUP promotes the event through Instagram and schoolwide emails.
“I hope it makes people aware of the spirit and community behind Wellesley High School,” Torrijos said.
Planning begins months in advance. Torrijos said SUP started meeting over Zoom in August to discuss decorations and coordinate preparations.
“A huge part of that is advertising,” Torrijos said. “It does take a significant amount of time, but once you’re there, it’s definitely worth it.”
Caparco said the event also gives students practical experience in leadership and event planning.
“They are learning how to work with adults and other students,” Caparco said. “They are learning the processes of how to run an event in the community and the different elements that it takes to work with a community partner.”
Organizing Raiders’ Day offers a different kind of learning experience from her AP business class, Wigren said, giving her the opportunity to apply skills outside the classroom.
“I have to actually email the hot dog guy,” Wigren said. “It’s definitely just like a way of doing something that I’ve never done before.”
Scott Cameron, a Wellesley resident, attended Raiders’ Day for the first time this year with his two children. He said the range of activities offered something for everyone.
He said events like Raiders’ Day give residents a better understanding of what students pursue beyond the classroom.
“You get to learn about the things that the kids are working on in the school, and the different passions that they have, whether it’s art, or sports, or travel, or other clubs,” Cameron said.