Votes Are In For Potential Long Valley Raiders Uniform Change

It’s a new year for the Long Valley Raiders Football program, and 2015 will come with a new set of uniform colors.

Sixty-three percent of the program’s members voted to change the Raiders uniform colors from green and gold to Columbia blue, navy blue, and white – the same color scheme as the West Morris Central High School football team.

Of the more than 220 families eligible to vote, 156 made their voice heard, according to the program’s board, with 98 approving the color change and 58 dissenting.

The topic came up for the 43-year-old program at the end of 2013 when the board began looking at its next scheduled uniform purchase, which is done every seven-to-10 years.

The board discussed the potential change in early 2014 with its sights set on the uniform purchase in 2015. The topic was then tabled in February 2014, but the board said it would revisit the issue at a later date.

Earlier this month, when the vote was underway, Patch reported on the potential change and the impact it would have on the Long Valley Cheerleading Association, which does not currently have the funds to change its colors.

Lisa Typrowicz, the Cheerleading Association’s president, said it would cost $24,000 to completely change all of her program’s uniforms this season and even if the football program voted to change, the cheerleaders would remain green and gold for the 2015 season.

Typrowicz said it will take 18 to 24 months to fully change over the program’s colors, with full implementation by 2017.

Despite a plea to become an honorary member of the football program, the cheerleading association was not given the opportunity to vote on the color change.

While the colors are set to change, the name will continue on as the Long Valley Raiders.

The board told Patch more details regarding the uniform change would be made public in the coming weeks.

See related stories:

• Vote May Change Historic Long Valley Raiders Football Colors
• Raiders Cheerleader: ‘Family’ Organization Deserves Vote on Uniform Change
• No One Has Right to Change Tradition, Varsity Raider Says

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