Homecoming festivities that will end next week with a fundraising walk, parade, football game and dance kicked off this morning with a pep rally in the gym.
The band played, club members and athletes clowned, and English teacher Kristen Houghton, always a good sport, kissed a pig after “winning” the honor in a fundraising activity held by students.
Next week’s activities will also include spirit week and a Powder Puff football game.
The pep rally and upcoming events are the result of lots of planning over the past month and a half: “Hours, and hours, and hours,” said Christine Boezman, Commons D secretary and advisor to the Varsity Club.
It’s not too late to get involved. Students who want to help out can still join the Varsity Club or Student Government, the club that recently decorated the cafeteria, which has become an annual fall tradition.
Varsity Club members were the ones who came up with the idea for this year’s Kiss the Pig contest. During lunches all week, students put money in bags labeled with teachers’ names. The teacher with the most money would be asked to kiss a real pig in front of the whole school.
Reports indicate that teachers Justin Bourque (computer technology) and Andy Briers (social studies) were in the lead for the honor until Chris Herr, another social studies teacher, dropped cash into Houghton’s bag at the last moment yesterday.
Houghton obliged today dressed in bright yellow.  Class Colors Day coincided with the pep rally, so staffers wore yellow, seniors wore crimson, juniors wore white, sophomores wore black and freshmen wore grey.
Monday, September 22, will be CHS apparel day. Peope are to  wear tie-dyed clothes on Tuesday, denim on Wednesday, tropical themed outfits on Thursday and flags on Friday.
Each day will also feature a fun event during lunch. Students will toss water balloons and bounce on balls on Monday and play Twister and hold a dance-off on Tuesday. Pies will be thrown on Wednesday, limbo and hula hoops played on  Thursday and teachers may end up in the dunk tank on Friday.
Next week will also feature the  6th annual Powder Puff game, a seniors vs. underclassmen girls’ football contest wherein members of the real Concord High School football squad will act as cheerleaders to show school spirit. This event will take place in the gym at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Homecoming Day will be Saturday,  Sept. 27, beginning with a parade at 11 a.m.
The parade will form in the senior/faculty parking lot and end at Memorial Field on Fruit Street. Cheerleaders and the CHS marching band will lead the parade followed by floats vying to be named the best. In recent years the National Art Honor Society has dominated the competition.
The Varsity Club traditionally brings up the rear with a float of its own, but this year members instead will be participating in the ALS fundraising walk. Varsity Club and band members, along with scores of other participants, will wear Connolly Tough t-shirts to signal support for Principal Gene Connolly, recently diagnosed with the disease.
The football game against rival Central High School in Manchester will begin at 1 p.m. at Memorial Field.
“Every different sport has a different school for a rival. Wrestling has Timberlane, hockey has Hanover, and football has Central,” said Connolly.
During half-time King and Queen nominees will line up on the field and winners will be crowned.
Nominees for King this year include Blake Bouldry, Rowan Ferrier, Gerry Josephs, Dongock Ju, Dan Lawrence, Austin Maheu, Keanan McGonigle, Connor McGuire, Peter Newland,Will Scharlotte, Ian Scura,  Michael Webb and Kevin Wu.
Homecoming queen nominees include Hannah Boisvert, Kyla Dreffer, Lucy Eills, Sarah Farrelly, Susan Griffith, Kierston Klose, Julia Makris, Hannah Mattaliano, Angela Millette, Lexie Perlow, Marissa Splendore, Erica Towne, Erin Waters and Amanda Webster.
The band and cheerleaders will also perform, pumping up the team for the remainder of the football game.
Players want victory, said senior captain Will Scharlotte, who put it simply: “I want to kick the crap out of Central.”
The dance that ends Homecoming will start at 7 p.m. in the student center.

Dillon Bailey and Sam Marquis also contributed information to this story.