When Choctawhatchee High School’s baseball team took the field Friday night, the backs of their batting helmets carried something new — a sticker bearing the America 250 logo with the school’s green outlining.
- It was a small addition with a big meaning. Choctaw became the first sports program in the Okaloosa County School District to display the logo, which honors the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding on July 4, 2026.
And it won’t be the last.
The district plans to outfit every high school sports program that uses helmets with its own school-colored version of the sticker in the coming months.
“Having our student-athletes wear the America 250 logo is a meaningful way to celebrate our nation’s history while inspiring pride, patriotism, unity, and a sense of purpose in the next generation,” said Catherine Card, the Okaloosa County School District’s Public Information Officer.
The idea started with Card, who noticed America 250 branding on NFL jerseys last fall and began thinking about how Okaloosa County’s student-athletes could carry the same spirit on their fields and diamonds. A full jersey redesign was out of the question as it would be too expensive and too slow for schools to absorb.
But a helmet sticker? That could move fast, cost less and reach every program.
Card connected with Shane Weddle of FastSigns, who stepped up with in-kind support to produce the first batch. After Weddle handed her the initial stickers at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber’s First Friday Coffee, Card drove to Choctaw to meet with Athletic Director Andy Thigpen and placed one on a football helmet sitting on his desk.
She liked what she saw.
She snapped a photo, put the helmet in her car and texted the image to Superintendent Marcus Chambers.
Chambers loved it. By that evening, Choctaw’s baseball players were pressing the stickers onto their batting helmets before taking the field. The team was so pumped about the sticker that they sent Card a video from the dugout.
Choctaw Baseball Coach David Weber said the moment landed with his players.
- “Anytime that we can have an opportunity to represent the United States of America, I think it’s a beautiful thing,” Weber said. “We get a chance to show some pride for our country, which is obviously always awesome.”
Weber said his players moved quickly to get the stickers on before the game and were excited to be the first program to wear them.
“When you get to be the first one to do something that’s really special, like these America 250 stickers, it’s a really cool feeling,” he said. “The guys loved it.”
Choctaw would go on to beat the McCracken County Mustangs from Kentucky that night 4-1. The Indians are now preparing for district playoffs and face the FWBHS Vikings this week.
The first 250 stickers were produced for Choctaw. Card said she is now working with Weddle to complete orders for the district’s remaining high schools, each featuring the America 250 logo in that school’s colors — an idea Chambers suggested.
“Our student-athletes are leaders both on and off the field and showcasing the America 250 logo on their helmets allows them to be part of a historic milestone for our nation,” Chambers said. “It’s a meaningful way to connect them to our country’s legacy while reinforcing the values of teamwork, perseverance, and pride.”
The helmet initiative is one piece of a larger America 250 celebration taking shape across the district. Earlier this year, elementary and middle school students across the district participated in a bookmark design contest, using creativity and positive messaging to promote a love of reading and civic pride.
- Other efforts include essay and poster contests, school-specific programming and a fifth-grade American Revolution play at Bob Sikes Elementary later this month. Okaloosa bands and ROTC units are also set to take part in upcoming America 250 events.
Businesses or community members who want to help financially support the expansion of America 250 stickers to additional schools can contact the Okaloosa County School District.
