The newest class of students at Padua Franciscan High School officially has 233 members, but there was one late addition to the first-year Bruins, and like so many others, she looks to write her own chapter in her family’s legacy at the school.
Bella the Bruin, Bruno’s younger sister, celebrated her first day at Padua by debuting during the Fall Sports Rally on Friday, August 23, ahead of the regular-season football opener against the Alliance Aviators at the University of Mount Union.
The female mascot costume project has been more than a year in the making. Padua is among the first, if not the first area high school to establish two distinct mascot characters – paralleling successful professional mascot programs like the Cleveland Guardians, Browns, and Cavaliers – all of whom have multiple characters that interact with each other.
“Introducing a female Bruin as a mascot is a sign of diversity and inclusivity, and an opportunity to have our mascot team evenly representing our student population,” said Student Life Coordinator Rebecca Simna, who oversees the school’s mascot program.
Both Simna and Vice President of Strategic Communication Rachel (Teron) DeGirolamo ’02, who oversees the school’s branding, managed the costume creation process. “We hope the additional mascot will elevate our school spirit and be a part of many new traditions,” said DeGirolamo.
The suit was created by BAM! Mascots, which has created multiple custom costumes for collegiate and professional teams, as well as corporations. BAM! also created the Bruno costume.
The duo wanted Bruno’s sister to look like she’s part of the family, but also, have some unique features too. They added some feminine touches to her costume, like a cheerleading uniform, a bow and long eyelashes.
Bella’s costume was designed to be more inclusive on many fronts. She was designed for performers who are between 5’3” and 5’6”, compared to Bruno’s costume (made for students between 5’7” and 5’10”). Now, more students can join “Team Bruno” and “Team Bella.”
“Inclusion is so important to who we are as Franciscans,” said DeGirolamo. “I love that more students will be able to participate on the mascot team now. We look forward to seeing Bella interact with Bruins and future Bruins for many years to come.”
Padua is always striving to be premier. Simna enlisted the help of professional mascots in the area to elevate the program. For several years, Padua has held a mascot boot camp, with the help of the Cleveland Guardians’ Hot Dog performers, along with mascot representatives from the Browns and Monsters. They spent hours working with students on Padua’s mascot team to take their performances, gestures and skits to the next level. “You know they’ve succeeded when they put a smile on the faces of everyone they encounter,” said Simna.
“The positive influence mascots have on students and the broader community is undeniable,” said Eric Gebhardt, who manages the Guardians’ Hot Dog performers. “I believe that the addition of a second mascot would be a fantastic investment in not only the program's future success, but Padua as well.”
The suit was created by BAM! Mascots, which has created multiple custom costumes for collegiate and professional teams, as well as corporations. BAM! also created the Bruno costume.
