By Megan Sprague

The sound of cheers was deafening at St. Mark’s Catholic School in Huntersville last week, as a crowd of excited students received a reward for winning the Harris Teeter Milk Cap Challenge — and a big surprise.

As the students screamed and clapped, the Carolina Panthers Top Cat cheerleaders performed and the team’s mascot, Sir Purr, kept the audience amped as the most exciting visitor made his way into the school.

St. Mark’s Catholic School student Ryan Vermillion talks to Panthers running back DeShaun Foster as his classmates look on. Foster visited the Huntersville school for a pep rally. Watch the video here.

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Panthers running back DeShaun Foster made a special appearance at the school, much to the children’s delight. Foster strolled through the door, wearing a milk mustache and a big grin, as the kids went wild and traded high-fives with him.

“I’m so glad to be able to come out,” Foster said.

After the children settled down a little, he got to a more serious note and gave some advice about getting proper nutrition.

“You need three servings daily of milk or yogurt,” he said. “It’ll keep you growing, give you strong bones and you’ll get big like me.”

After Foster’s speech, a few children were allowed to get up on stage and play a game with the football player — a quiz of true/false facts about the Panthers.

Foster stayed after the pep rally to pose for picturs with the St. Mark’s students by class level.

The school’s principal, Debbie Butler, had a few words to say while Foster posed with the kids.

“It’s been a great morning and I hope you’ll listen to the advice that DeShaun Foster has given you,” she said. “It was so great to have a pro football player at our school, and it should make us feel very special.”

She went on to thank the co-sponsors of the contest, including the Southeast United Dairy Association, Harris Teeter and, of course, the Panthers and their mascot and cheerleaders, for stopping by.

The children collected 14,900 milk caps this year to win first place. Because of this, they were awarded not only the rally, but a check from the Panthers for $500 for P.E. equipment and $745 for their milk caps, at 5 cents a piece, from Harris Teeter.

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