MIX’s Carpool Casanova Awards Sycamore Creek Elementary for Best Pink Spirit in Season Finale

MIX 101.5 found the proper way to top off a perfectly pink school year. Season 2 of Carpool Casanova wrapped last Friday, June 9, 2023, with a big award for Sycamore Creek Elementary School.

During the school year Bryan Lord of MIX Mornings with Kyle, Bryan and Sarah transformed once a week into the a “morning karaoke singer” to bring a little fun to school carpool lines in the Triangle. “Carpool Casanova” debuted last school year. To up the ante for the second season, Lord went with a pink theme, inspired by the big buzz surrounding the upcoming Barbie movie.

MIX’s Carpool Casanova Bryan Lord visited Sycamore Creek Elementary School on Friday, June 9, 2023, to wrap the “pink” season and present the “Pink Plaque for Outstanding Carpool Casanova Spirit” award.

The schools the Carpool Casanova visited this year went all out to show their pink spirit, but Sycamore Creek Elementary rocked when the MIX team originally came out on Friday, November 4, 2023.

So, how did MIX decide to create an award?

“The award is a product of creative perseverance,” explained Lord. “We knew the finale HAD to be big. After Scotty McCreery’s manager ghosted me and I was told landing a helicopter on school roofs is against Wake County Schools’ policy, Jim Kelly and I came up with the annual ‘pink plaque’ award. The idea was to add incentive for schools hosting the Carpool Casanova to go BIG like Sycamore Creek. Throw in a giant check and a pink ice cream party from Two Roosters — we had ourselves a finale worth competing over.”

“This was the inaugural year for the ‘pink plaque’. It’s exciting having your own award! Oscar, Tony, and Emmy must feel like this all the time.”
– MIX Mornings’ Bryan Lord, the Carpool Casanova

Sycamore Creek Elementary went all out to but their best pink foot forward for the Carpool Casanova’s season visit to the school in November.

“Sycamore Creek had a ‘Welcome Carpool Casanova’ sign, and there was pink everywhere you looked!” said WRAL-FM Promotions Manager Shelby Lloyd. “They pretty much raised the bar for how to support the Casanova, but nobody else after them quite got to their level of support, they even gave the ‘Carpool Casanova’ a full page in their yearbook!”

Check out the Carpool Casanova school spirit from Sycamore Creek Elementary in November:

“My parents are divorced, which means my ‘who loves me most’ radar is well calibrated,” said Lord. “After visiting 35 schools this year, none brought the love like Sycamore Creek. Their creativity and level of staff/student/parent participation created the blueprint for future schools! That level of ingenuity deserves recognition – and we recognized.”

To present the big award and thank Sycamore Creek for their outstanding welcome, Carpool Casanova returned to the school on Friday, June 9, 2023. He presented the “Pink Plaque for Outstanding Carpool Casanova Spirit” and a check for $500 to the school.

Lord sang a total of 9 songs, instead of his usual 3, ending with singing “Crocodile Rock” (in honor of their school mascot) over the intercom once school had already begun!

MIX had Two Roosters Ice Cream come out and provide pink colored vanilla ice cream to over 550 students.

“We thought they went all out for the performance on November 4^th, but they knocked it even more out of the park for the finale,” said Lloyd of the Sycamore Creek crowd. “Cars in the carpool line were decorated, students and staff were decked out in pink, the PTA were giving out pink sunglasses, beads, pom poms and more. They had a ‘Carpool Casanova Stage,’ another giant sign and so much more, one teacher even painted a picture of Bryan!!”

Lord comes from a family of educators, so he is no stranger to schools.

“It’s ironic that I’ve ended up in carpool lines,” said Lord. “Both of my parents dedicated their lives to elementary education. My mom, a special education teacher for 35 years. My dad, an elementary school principal for nearly 40 years. I thought going to journalism school was breaking a family trend. Nope. Turns out singing karaoke at my college bar prepared me professionally more than my classes.”

Check out the next-level Carpool Casanova school spirit from Sycamore Creek Elementary on their award day in June:

FB Live VIDEO: It’s time for Carpool Casanova’s Season 2 Finale at Sycamore Creek Elementary!

Lord loved honoring the great spirit of Sycamore Creek. And he loves being the Carpool Casanova.

“I love the spirit of elementary schools!” he said. “They’re fun, and joyous, and NOT afraid to sing and dance along! Middle schoolers are a mixed bag. High schoolers look at me like I was summoned as a practical joke intended torture them. I say that with love. But to be real for a moment, I take the time I spend with these kids very seriously. You never know what kids go through at home. I’ve heard enough horror stories to know the harsh realities. With that in mind, I make sure each interaction is an opportunity to spread love, joy, and positivity. It’s an honor to have that opportunity each Friday.”

Carpool Casanova will now be on hiatus for the summer. Last Friday served as the season finale. But he will be back for the 2023-2024 school year and season 3! Stay tuned! You never know what he will come up with next…

MIX 101.5’s Carpool Casanova

Thanks to WRAL-FM’s Shelby Lloyd for these Capcom photos and scoop, to WRAL-FM’s Joe Ristaino for the Capcom video and to WRAL-FM’s Lauren Stewart for the FB Live video.