Edgecomb’s Karen Potter didn’t go to Wiscasset High School, but she showed up in all-out spirit for the school, pre-dawn Friday. With a red, white and black antennae, curled at the tip, and a makeshift tutu in the same colors, Pottle cheered from the bleachers along with the rest of the crowd at a spirit rally WGME carried.

Sitting next to her as Potter stood and smiled for a photo was her and Edgecomb Fire Chief Roy Potter’s daughter, Carolyn, an Edgecomb Eddy School fifth grader. She’ll become a Wiscasset student later, her mother said. The couple currently have seventh, eighth and tenth graders at WMHS.

Further explaining her enthusiasm for the rally, Karen Potter said her husband went to Wiscasset. “So this is second generation now,” she said, still smiling.

For two hours, the crowd of students, graduates, staff, parents, town and school officials, Maine Army National Guard members, local business owners and others cheered, helped out, danced, shot hoops, ate, and donated to Good Shepherd Food Bank on and off-camera.

Josh Pottle of Sarah’s Cafe and a 2008 Wiscasset High School graduate, was back in the gym Friday morning, helping serve the egg and cheese burritos and fruit the restaurant donated to the event.

Like everyone else interviewed, he was glad to be a part of it. “This school may be small, but I don’t care. It can survive anything. And I’ll treasure my time in school all my life, more than anything,” he added.

Sarah’s is also donating a portion of its soup sales to the Spirit Challenge. The Spirit Cup goes to the school that raises the most pounds of food for the food bank.

WGME’s Jeff Peterson interviewed Allen Cohen of Big Al’s about the 5,000 pounds of food he brought to donate to the food bank. His choice of Cheez-Its and other Keebler products was meant to provide people in need with things they usually wouldn’t get to enjoy, he told the Wiscasset Newspaper.

“This is going to be a treat. It will be a luxury,” Cohen said.

Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce members gathered to donate $250, while one of them, Le Garage owner Cheryl Rust, chipped in another $100. The food bank can get five pounds of food for every dollar raised.

Among other donations was $500 from Wiscasset Ford.

WMHS guidance counselor Shaye Paradis went around with a donation jar. “It’s nice to see everyone pulling together, for school spirit and a good cause, a cause that does a lot for this community,” Paradis said about Good Shepherd.

One of the morning’s highlights was Spanish teacher Jorgeanne Bailey and Brazilian exchange students dancing in front of the crowd. Then Bailey encouraged other attendees to come down from the bleachers and join them on the gym floor. Bailey led the group in the “Macarena.”

“I loved it. I burned all my calories,” she said later.

Samuel Whitney attended in two roles, as a WMHS junior and one of several Maine Army National Guard members volunteering. They helped bring food donations into the gym and tossed out caps and other freebies to the crowd.

“It’s a pretty big day. I like to represent the community and the Guard,” Whitney said.

Wiscasset’s participation in WGME’s Spirit Challenge continues into February. The school won the cup in early 2014.