On October 7th, South Forsyth High School’s DECA chapter partnered with the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) to throw their annual tailgate before the SFHS game against Milton High School. The theme of this home game was “Pink Out” in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The DECA tailgate took place in the Plaza starting at 5:30 p.m., where members of these Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) banded together to ensure that every element of the tailgate was successful. The representatives also took a collective inventory of lawn games and activities for students to participate in.

DECA, FBLA, and FCCLA are three of the five Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) that South Forsyth has to offer through their Career Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) pathways. DECA is the CTSO aligned with the Marketing Pathways, FBLA is the CTSO aligned with the Business Pathway, and FCCLA is the CTSO aligned with the Teaching as a Profession and Culinary Pathways.

These CTSOs help prepare students for careers within their respective pathway fields through competitive events, professional development, and opportunities to gain real-world experience in their fields during high school.

Furthermore, these CTSOs create a sense of community for students with similar career interests and bringing these three organizations together for a joint tailgate created a larger community of driven students at South Forsyth.

“DECA wanted to help by gathering our members and hosting a fun tailgate while wearing pink to support the cause,” said Hailey Brakke, South’s DECA Chapter President.

The members from all three organizations worked together to string colorful decorations throughout the Plaza after school. They incorporated pink banners to liven up the Plaza for the Pink Out theme. Students showed up dazzling in pink, one of their many contributions to raise awareness for breast cancer.

The three CTSOs worked together to make the tailgate a fun and lively event, bringing in activities for their members to participate in.

The contributions from each CTSO were crucial to the success of the DECA tailgate. DECA brought food and cornhole as an activity, FBLA brought drinks and spikeball sets and FCCLA brought cookies made by South’s culinary students for dessert.

Members from these CTSOs were able to come together to enjoy dinner and lawn games while making new friends from other CTSOs. 

Nathan Tishgarten, a DECA officer, said the best part of the DECA tailgate was, “getting to have a great a time with my friends and meeting new people from FBLA and FCCLA.”

With the help of FBLA and FCCLA, South Forsyth DECA’s annual tailgate tradition has expanded its outreach and embodies the War Eagle Way by bringing together members of the CTSOs to connect, achieve and lead.