Brazil Times Bracket Challenge: Thank you

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

When I envisioned the concept of the Brazil Times Bracket Challenge a few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure how it would be received.

Sure, I thought people would take part in it at some level.

But what ended up happening truly blew me away, and I can’t thank Clay County enough for the support they gave the Challenge and all of the kids that were in it.

The messages that came into my inbox when it was announced were very kind and they continued during it and afterwards too.

Seeing how many people took part in it made me want to add up the numbers of everything the two social media platforms – Facebook and Twitter – gave as feedback.

• 8,716 votes were cast

• 945 times a post was shared

• 54 times it was retweeted

• 26 times it was favorited

• 59,211 people were reached

Those are all mindboggling statistics that I could not, and did not, foresee happening.

For two weeks straight, people seemed to get on board with each 24-hour voting window and pushed hard for their family member, teammate, classmate or the performance they deemed best to move on to the next round.

With the NCAA Tournament canceled and everybody stuck at home because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Bracket Challenge flourished.

I don’t know if it will become an annual tradition or not, as I think I can speak for everyone in saying I hope we’re not put into this position a year from now and are able to enjoy the high school spring seasons.

But for the role that it filled in 2020, I’m grateful for the way so many people from the Clay County area got on board.

And for that, I say thank you.

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