By Jodi Hersey
Special to The Weekly
High school can be tough. There are times during those four years of education, extra-curricular activities, sports team rivalries and college application requirements when many students admit they are just trying to survive the day, the week or even the semester. But the seniors at Brewer High School are about to learn a whole new meaning of the word “survivor” when they go head to head in the first ever Survivor Witch Island competition at the end of this month. The event is a project graduation fundraiser that pits six teams of six against each other in a one-night competition to determine which team can outwit, outplay and out earn their competitors. The teams will be doing so under the watchful eye of 2008 Survivor Gabon winner Bob Crowley of South Portland.
“Bob is not just a state celebrity or national celebrity. He’s known all over the world,” said Rhonda Edgecomb, one of the organizers for Survivor Witch Island.
Crowley, a retired high school physics teacher, will serve as emcee and judge at the event.
“He’s a bright man and a strategist. Who knows how it’s going to play out with him,” said Edgecomb with a chuckle. “I’ve worked with Survivor Bob before and he’s never heard of a fundraiser like this.”
Each team competing in the fundraiser will be composed of a team captain from the senior class and another senior of the opposite gender. There will be one underclassman per team as well as a teacher or faculty member, a community member and a wild card player.
“The wild card is anyone they want to pick. They can pick somebody who has excessive agility or someone that’s super strong or has super wit. We’re not limiting them,” explained Edgecomb.
Throughout the night the teams will compete in a number of different challenges that have been inspired by various themes or ideas from the Survivor television show. After each competition, the team that comes in last will be benched while the remaining teams advance to the next challenge until there is one remaining team.
All the ousted teams will then have the chance to earn their way back into the game to compete in the final challenge by collecting “votes” in the form of dollars from spectators in the audience. The ousted team that collects the most money in their bucket will then compete against the undefeated team in the final dual of the night.
“It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” said senior Ryan Mills, who will lead the Yukari tribe. “I don’t know what the challenges are going to be like but I’m pretty competitive. I’ve done lots of sports. I’ve got lots of outdoor and leadership skills and I’m really not afraid of much at all.”
However, unlike the reality TV show, there won’t be a one million dollar check for the winner. But organizers are hoping to raise a significant amount of money through T-shirt and ticket sales, concessions and audience donations. Their goal is to collect at least $6,000 for the 2015 Brewer Project Graduation event.
“It costs $25,000 for a project graduation event. Project graduation isn’t just shipping them off to a place to let them run around,” explained Edgecomb. “There’s a lot that goes into it and this sends an important message to the students that we want to support them in having a good time to celebrate graduation but to do it safely and chem-free.”
Bob Crowley will share some of his colorful experiences on Survivor Gabon with the audience during the event and also will be available at the end of the night for autographs and photos. Survivor Witch Island will take place Saturday, Jan. 31, at Brewer High School. The event is appropriate for all ages. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., competition starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. The public is encouraged to attend.