Under a picture-perfect blue sky and shirt-sleeve weather of 75 degrees, the Hutchinson Tigers football team kicked off its 2022 season Thursday night with a big win of 46-0 against St. Cloud Apollo.
The pregame show was impressive, too. It was Red, White & Blue Night, which honors veterans, police, fire and emergency medical services personnel.
The special evening was organized by Tim Burley, former Hutchinson American Legion commander, and the parents of the football players, with Hutchinson Fire Chief Mike Schumann as their contact.
The highlight was the raising of the Freedom Flight POW/MIA hot air balloon. The nonprofit educational organization’s mission is to increase public awareness of the POW/MIA issue through the use of hot air balloons.
Although the balloon did not take flight, it was an impressive sight that served to remind everyone in attendance of the importance of Hutchinson’s first responders.