Ryan Whiteleather

Ryan never had any intention of being Gar for his senior year, but after being asked by Mr. Whitehurst and thinking about it, he couldn’t turn down the opportunity. “It was a lot harder than I expected, you really have to think about everything you can and can’t do in the suit,” said Ryan. Ryan’s favorite event as Gar was the Sports for Life basketball game at Harford Technical High School, because of how thrilled all the kids were to see Gar and have him support them. “The scariest moment was when my head came off during a game,” confessed Ryan, “but luckily I caught it before anyone saw me.”  Ryan’s advice to future Gar participants is to always have fun and make sure your head is on properly!

Mrs. Melissa Newberry (Class of 1997)

Mrs. Newberry graduated from Fallston High School in 1997 but never had the chance to be Gar, so when Mr. Whitehurst asked, it was the perfect opportunity to have a second chance at a senior activity. The hardest part of staying anonymous the entire year was hiding her secret identity from her best friend, Mrs.Goldmsith. “We were talking about Gar at the talent show and I almost let it slip!” exclaimed Mrs. Newberry.  Freshman Fest was Mrs. Newberry’s favorite memory of being Gar.  She danced with the cheerleaders, sat in the bleachers, and got to take pictures with all of the unsuspecting incoming freshmen. Mrs. Newberry’s advice to future Gars is to bring a complete change of clothes and drink plenty of water before getting in the suit!

Elena Baker

Elena was recruited by Mr. Whitehurst to be Gar and agreed because it sounded like a fun and unique experience for her senior year. Elena didn’t find it difficult to remain anonymous the entire year except for when she had to come up with excuses to her friends about why she wouldn’t be at certain events. “There are too many memorable moments as Gar to count, but one of my favorites was cheering for the softball team,” said Elena. Elena’s advice to future Gars is to not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and just have fun!

Shannon Cooper

Shannon always thought being Gar would be an interesting experience and realized that this would likely be the only opportunity she would have for something like this so she jumped at the chance. Being Gar was everything Shannon expected except for the difficulty of staying anonymous.  “I didn’t expect to be as paranoid as I was that someone would call me out on it,” said Shannon. Shannon’s favorite memory as Gar was when she saw the Connellys’ son, Ethan, at a basketball game.  “He was so excited to see Gar,” said Shannon, “but I was sad that I couldn’t play with him like usual or tell anyone about it.”  Shannon’s advice to future female Gar participants is to never straighten your hair on the day you do it because it gets really hot in the suit!

Nick Immink

Nick Immink was asked to be Gar by Mr.Whitehurst, and he said yes, thinking that it would be a fun experience and a unique way to support FHS. Luckily, Nick didn’t have trouble hiding his identity.  He was only asked if he was Gar one time and denied it straightaway. “I really enjoyed being Gar.  It was great to be able to support the sports program and interact with the crowd,” said Nick. Nick’s advice to all future Gars is to always interact with the crowd and to always have fun with it!

Mr. Whitehurst

Mr. Whitehurst has been the Gar coordinator for the last four years at Fallston High School, and tries to involve Gar in as many school activities as possible. “Mr. Whitehurst does a great job as coordinator!” said Senior Gar, Nick Immink. “He is a huge fan of the Cougars and does so much for the community.” Mr. Whitehurst doesn’t just escort Gar to all school activities, he leaves all of the Gars thank-you notes and candy to show his appreciation for what they do all year. Interested in being Gar? Mr. Whitehurst’s criteria for participants are that you are a senior, you are academically eligible and you cannot be overly involved in school activities. Mr. Whitehurst’s favorite part of being the coordinator? Getting to see when all of the Gar participants meet one another for the first time for a picture at the end of the year, because it is a secret to them just like it is for the rest of the school.