At Sandpoint Living Local our mission is to impact the communities we serve in a positive way, and when we see others with that same philosophy we enjoy celebrating those moments.
On Friday, October 13 during a halftime presentation at Sandpoint’s varsity football game against Lakeland, we at Sandpoint Living Local had the honor of celebrating and recognizing two people in our community who have a combined 69 years volunteering for our youth.
Ron Hanson and Dwight Sheffler were announcers at the Sandpoint High School varsity football games for well over three decades. Ron began announcing for the Bulldogs in 1978 when he agreed to take over for the rest of the season when the person then announcing moved out of town. But leaving after the season was not an option as Ron continued to volunteer his time each Friday night. Dwight joined Ron a few years later and the two continued for over 30 years – Ron for 36 and Dwight for 33.
The pair’s devotion to the Bulldogs did not just take place each Friday night during a home game. When the Bulldogs won the State Championship in 1997, Ron and Dwight listened on the radio and headed directly to Memorial Field to ring the victory bell when the final whistle blew.
It was during one game several years ago, that Ron exclaimed over the sound system “How ‘bout those Bulldogs!” with great enthusiasm. The fans’ reaction was a huge cheer, so Ron continued what became his signature phrase and is now part of Bulldog history.
This season marked the first year with the new stands, and it seemed an appropriate time to not only celebrate the beautiful new stadium, but to acknowledge and extend appreciation for those who devoted their time over the past several decades to SHS football.
“It truly takes special people such as Ron and Dwight to make the community of Sandpoint what it is,” said Sandpoint Living Local owner Steve Russo. “Their devotion to volunteering is certainly something to be recognized and celebrated.”