EPHRATA — The stakes are high, bragging rights are up for grabs and both teams are all in on the goal of raising funds and food for the Ephrata Food Bank. The Ephrata School District will be hosting its third annual Ephrata Middle School vs. Parkway Secondary School staff volleyball match March 17.  

“Where we started this was, we were trying to think of a way to invite our community in in a different way, to engage families with our staff,” Ephrata Middle School Principal Tina Mullings said. “Then we were also trying to think of something for March, which is kind of, educationally, a challenging month. It's before spring break. It's a long month. Sometimes it's kind of cold outside, and we were just trying to figure out a way (to boost) staff morale as well. It kind of just oozed out of those things.” 

The gates open at 6 p.m. and the game starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ephrata High School. There is a $1 entry fee; however, that will be waived for one canned food donation. 

“We have our teachers as well as our paraprofessionals, and basically anybody on staff can play. Some of our custodians played last year,” Mullings said. “So pretty much anyone that is an Ephrata Middle School staff member is invited to participate if they want to.” 

Both teams have won one previous game. With EMS winning the first year and Parkway winning the second. Monday’s game will be a deciding factor on which Ephrata Middle School staff will leave with official bragging rights.  

“So, I feel like this game kind of holds a little bit more tension because we are at a tie breaker,” Mullings said. “But we're definitely winning. So no, no doubt in my mind we got this in the bag.”  

All admission funds and food donations will go to the Ephrata Food Bank. The concession sales at the game will support both schools' Associated Student Bodies.  

“We originally thought, ‘Do we charge to enter this?’ Should we charge and split the profits? But we really just felt like we wanted to do something that was more of a celebration and getting our families to come and see us in a different light,” Mullings said. “To do that, it just made sense to have it be more of a community effort of using that food bank donation to support the game, just made more sense to us to do that than to actually charge for people to come in to watch.” 

Ephrata Middle School vs. Parkway Intermediate School staff volleyball game 

March 17 

Ephrata High School  

Gates: 6 p.m.  

Game: 6:30 p.m. 

Cost: $1 or one can of food 

    The staff at Ephrata Middle School and Parkway intermediate high five at the end of the first staff volleyball match in 2023. The two teams will be competing against one another at a tie-breaking game March 17.