Jessica Sewing | Collegio Reporter

Anyone passing through Pittsburg this week may have noticed a change in the scenery: for the seventh year in a row, several local businesses and residents decked out the town’s building in crimson and gold as part of Paint the Town Red.
More than 70 entries, in three different categories, were judged this year. Division one was businesses with more than 15 employees, Division two was for entries with 8-15 employees, and Division three was for participants who have fewer than eight employees.

“Having the local community decorate allows the people in town to be a part of the school,” said Steffanie Moore, senior in early childhood development.
This year the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce announced a new award for the Community Favorite, which was decided by residents. Businesses urged customers through Facebook and Twitter to go to the Chamber of Commerce’s website to vote for their favorite business. The online contest generated more than 1,000 votes in a 27-hour period.
“Paint the Town the Red is an awesome way to support our team and it’s so much fun too,” said Katy Porter, sophomore in social work. “I enjoy how refreshing it is to be somewhere that has so much team spirit.”
Of those 70 entries, 10 were crowned victorious. In the Division one category, Via Christi Village placed first, followed by the City of Pittsburg in second, and the Family Resource Center in third.
Placing third in the Division two category was Pinamonti Orthodontics, just behind Mauries in second. The first place winner of the Division two was Jones Heritage Realtors.
The winner of the Division three category was no surprise to people who drove down Joplin Street. Taking first place was Red Giant Oil Co. who painted all their oil silos red with “GO PSU” written on the front of them.
The winner of the Community Favorite Award was given to Pitt Plastics.
“The outstanding level of community participation for the event demonstrates the pride and appreciation residents of the area have for Pittsburg State,” said Devin Gorman, marketing and communication director.
For Kayla Hughes, Paint the Town Red offered a chance to see athletics and student involvement before the game, but also the local community support.
“The thing that stood out most for me was the fact that everyone in Pittsburg was excited for the home game,” Hughes said. “I’ve never been to a town that cares about a team so much.”