Off to the Races

CRESCENT CITY – A group of high school students represented Putnam County and appeared on national television Saturday during a NASCAR race.

Seven cadets from Crescent City Junior-Senior High School’s JROTC program participated in the opening ceremony of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in Daytona.

“It was a great opportunity for our kids,” Principal Tim Adams said.

During the national anthem, the high school cadets held sabers, rifles, the American flag, the state flag and Crescent City’s JROTC banner in front of the crowd at Daytona International Speedway.

The event was broadcasted on NBC.

Retired Master Sgt. Richard Pelehach, the senior Army instructor for the school’s JROTC program, said this was their second time participating in the ceremony. However, the students could not be seen on television last time.

Pelehach said the students raised money for their own tickets into Saturday’s event and they stayed to watch the race.

“The kids loved it because they were on pit row,” he said. “Everybody enjoyed it.”

The senior instructor stood on the stage during the ceremony but said it was the students’ show. Pelehach said the JROTC program is run by the students because they should learn how to be leaders and better people by the end of the program.

Adams said JROTC is growing at Crescent City High, and moments like Saturday are some of the ways the cadets can “showcase their leadership skills.”

“The motto is to motivate young people to be better citizens,” Pelehach said.

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