49ers fever hits valley

Excitement for Super Bowl growing

MORE AND more people are making plans to come together to enjoy the Super Bowl and celebrate the success of Colton McKivitz on Sunday.

Two additional watch parties are now being planned to provide area residents the opportunity to view the game on a big screen.

The Centerville Senior Center/Smith Township Community Center will host a Super Bowl Party with doors opening at 3 p.m. Sunday; kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. There is no fee to attend. A cornhole tournament will begin at 4 p.m. with teams asked to sign up in the comment section of the announcement post on the Centerville/Jacobsburg Area Community Page on Facebook.

Other activities include: Euchre, a 50/50 drawing, Super Bowl square boards and children's activities. Any proceeds will go to the community center and a charity of McKivitz's choice.

People are encouraged to bring a covered dish, snack, dip or dessert to share. Everyone should bring their own non-alcoholic beverages as well.

Since McKivitz was born and raised in the communities of Jacobsburg and Belmont, turnout of friends and neighbors for this event could be strong.

Meanwhile, his alma mater also will welcome the public to visit the campus and watch the game live.

Union Local High School also is hosting a Super Bowl Watch Party. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and a pep rally will be held at 6 p.m. A potluck-style meal will be offered, with all attendees urged to bring a covered dish.

"Let's cheer on our very own Colton McKivitz and his San Francisco 49ers in the Big Game!" organizers wrote.

The district also noted on its Facebook page that it received more than 500 orders for custom shirts for the occasion.

"We love seeing our AMAZING UL Community come together to celebrate a fellow JET!" the district posted. "GO JETS AND GO COLTON!"

In addition to the event Sunday, the district is holding a special Super Bowl Spirit Week filled with themed days to get students and staff fired up for the big game. Monday was "McKivitz Monday" with people asked to wear camouflage clothing as McKivitz is known to do. Today is "Turnover Tuesday," when participants will wear black and white or referee gear. They can also bring their whistle, hat and yellow flag.

Other themed days include:

Winning Wednesday -- celebrating halftime performances with everyone urged to dress like their favorite music superstar;

Touchdown Thursday -- getting game faces with face paint; and

Fan Friday -- showing McKivitz support by wearing 49ers gear or sporting the colors of West Virginia University, where McKivitz built his college career.

In addition, the district is creating a video to show McKivitz how much support he has back home. Residents can create their own video wishing McKivitz luck or sharing other words of encouragement to be included in the overall production. Videos should be emailed to redwards@ulschools.com or yearbook@ulschools.com by Wednesday.