They zumba-danced, they saw who could spit a pickle farthest and empty a tissue box the quickest; they cheered and did the wave, all for the cameras and much of it before dawn broke January 31. Wiscasset High School students and an enthusiastic public turned on the school pride Friday, in a rally for Portland television station WGME's Spirit Challenge.

“It's awesome,” Ridge Barnes said. The junior got up at 4 a.m. for the 5 a.m. rally, to show spirit and raise donations for Good Shepherd Food Bank. “It's a good cause, feeding the kids,” Barnes said. “It's great to see everybody coming together.”

Senior Nathan Panarese referred to the slogan students hear often from staffer Deb Pooler, who got the school into the station’s contest.

“We are small, but we are mighty,” said Panarese, who got up at 3:30 a.m.

English and drama teacher Jean Phillips donned a pair of wings from a past one-act play as teachers met students on the gym floor for Zumba dancing.

“Anything to help,” Phillips said.

This was what the community needed right now, School Committee Chairman Glen Craig said near the close of the two-hour event. The Spirit Challenge comes as the town faces its own challenge to create a school department away from Regional School Unit 12.

WGME morning show anchor Jeff Peterson drew cheers when he brought up the town’s new independence.

Earlier, he showed students the sweeping arm gesture he would use as a “go crazy” cue during his live reports.

Adding to the crowd of high school students, parents, faculty and staff, about 30 Wiscasset Middle School students attended the rally. Selectmen’s Chairman Ed Polewarczyk was there, and a surprise guest, Shari Templeton of Newcastle. She recently left her job of 22 years, teaching science at the school, to become a science specialist at the Maine Department of Education.

“I do miss you guys terribly,” Templeton said after Pooler called her to the front of the crowd.

Dunkin Donuts and Sarah’s Cafe donated the morning’s refreshments. Sarah’s is also giving a percentage of its February soup sales to the cause. Money helps boost the school’s total number of pounds of food collected because the food bank can buy five pounds of food with every dollar donated.

The food goes to Maine families lacking in nutritious food, according to Rebecca Wright, the food bank’s philanthropy director for southern Maine.

“That (donated) food is going to make a real difference,” Wright told the crowd.

The Spirit Cup goes to the school collecting the largest number of pounds of food. The drive continues through February 28.