Screaming Eagles to deliver game ball to Elmhurst College

Elmhurst College is preparing for one of the most spectacular football handoffs in its homecoming history, and it’s set to take place before the game even starts.

On Saturday, Oct. 13, just before the kickoff of Elmhurst’s game against Wheaton College, members of the 101st Airborne Division’s Parachute Demonstration Team, also known as the Screaming Eagles, will sky-dive from a plane and parachute onto Langhorst Field carrying the American flag and the game ball, which they will hand off to Elmhurst College President S. Alan Ray.

The public is invited to attend both the Screaming Eagles handoff and the football game, scheduled to begin a few minutes before 2 p.m. at Langhorst Field.

The Screaming Eagles are the U.S. Army’s oldest parachute demonstration team, performing jumps around the world since 1958. The 101st Parachute Demonstration Team, which does about 45 shows a year, consists of up to a dozen volunteer members and represents the wide variety of skills that has made the 101st Airborne Division one of the world’s most effective air assault divisions.

Early team members were soldiers who volunteered their free time in order to perform quality parachute demonstrations for the public. In 1984, the 101st Command Group formed its own full-time parachute team, the Screaming Eagles.

Retired U.S. Navy pilot Jerry Schriver, a member of the Elmhurst College Class of 1962, was instrumental in connecting the college’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations with the Screaming Eagles. During his 24 years of military service, Schriver commanded three Navy units, retiring as a captain in 1989.

Tickets to the homecoming game are not sold in advance; they may be purchased on game day at Langhorst Field, 190 Prospect Ave. Gates open at noon. Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for students and seniors, and free for children younger than 9.

For details, visit elmhurst.edu/alumni or call the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at (630) 617-3600.