These days, when one enters Salem from any direction, they should see brand championship signs that highlight the Salem Spartans and the city. The eye catching four-foot by four-foot structures feature the Salem High School athletics logo, the Virginia’s Championship City logo, and the city’s mountain branded artwork in the background.
“Salem has a tradition of excellence that has produced so many state championships in both athletics and academics that our old roadside signs could no longer keep up,” said Salem Superintendent Dr. Curtis Hicks. “To list everything, we would practically need a billboard.”
For decades, Salem highlighted its VHSL team champions on towering brown highway signs that grew each time another title was secured. Over time, the transformer-like collection of road signs faded, peeled, and became unsightly.
“While the signs have always been a point of pride for the community, the reality is that no one can read a long list of accomplishments driving by at 35 miles an hour,” said Mike Stevens, Salem’s communications director. “I just knew we could do better with the right mix of design and technology.”
Salem Communications Specialist Clark Ruhland, who has designed everything from paint schemes for NASCAR teams to helmets and uniforms for colleges, created a dozen variations of the new highway signs. City Council and School Board members then reviewed the designs and made their selections at a joint work session in the fall of 2024.
“All of the members were very receptive to the designs, but also to the concept of truly celebrating our champions,” said Ruhland. “They understood that replacing the signs on the roadways was just one part of the process.”
Along with the new and engaging signage coming into the city, 10 additional signs are being placed at sporting venues across the city. The similarly designed signs include some instructional verbiage and a QR code. Once fans scan the code, they will be taken to a brand-new State Champions webpage that will include team photos along with roster information for every team championship at Salem High School, Andrew Lewis High School, and Carver dating back to 1916.
“This new approach celebrates that Salem is the home of the state champion Salem Spartans, while also using technology to honor our students in a 21st-century way,” said Hicks. “With the launch of the website and the use of QR code, we are truly bringing these accomplishments to life.”
Salem High School Athletic Director Drew Barrett and Salem Street and General Maintenance Department Director Todd Sutphin also played key roles in bringing the multifaceted project to the finish line. In addition, workers at Salem’s sign shop handled decal placement and installation.
“We hope the community will enjoy this easily accessible way of celebrating the achievements of our students, coaches, and teams,” said Hicks. “We have a great deal to be proud of and thankful for in Salem.”
The Salem State Champions website can be accessed at www.salemchampionships.com
-The Salem Times-Register
