Who doesn’t love college football? This Saturday on August 31st, the Mississippi State Bulldogs football team will take to the field to play their first game of the season. Mississippi State’s football program has long been a top contender in the NCAA, and a favorite team throughout Mississippi and among college sports fans.

When fans think of Mississippi State football games, there is one thing that often comes to mind- cowbells. According to local lore, this custom developed in the mid 1900s, when a lone cow meandered its way onto the field during a State football game, which the team ultimately won. The school eventually embraced this happenstance as an ode to the school’s agricultural history. Since then, cowbells have become a resounding symbol of the schools sports program, and this practice has developed as one of the most unique traditions in college sports. The cowbells have taken on a meaning greater than just a way to root for the school, with many bells becoming family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation. The school even hosts events where students and alumni showcase the bells they’ve collected over the years! Each Saturday, tens of thousands of State fans take to the bleachers with their favorite cowbell adorned with the State logo. The crimson red bells seem to outnumber the amount of people in the fan section, and the distinct cowbell sound is certainly hard to miss.

Bevin Bells are proud to play an important role in keeping this tradition alive year after year by producing many of the bells for fans. Every year, we look forward to the time when the leaves start to change, and we start to see thousands of our Kentucky Cowbells coming off the production line. In fact, our business can be significantly up in years where Mississippi is on a winning streak. We can hardly wait to hear our bells ringing, cheering on State during the 2019 season! Go Bulldogs and Hail State!


Run a road race in every single town in CT and you will be crowned as a King or Queen of the “Run 169 Towns Society.”  Needless to say, this is quite an accomplishment.  The organization started in 2012 by a group of like-minded, dedicated runners.  At the inaugural meeting, Karen Rogers and Bob Davis were crowned as the first King and Queen to complete the challenge (Karen in Nov. 2011 and Bob in Feb. 2012).   On April 14, Katey Baruth finished a race in Avon, CT, becoming the 10th woman to run in all 169 towns. To date, just 26 individuals have achieved the goal!  2692 people are currently registered members of the group, so plenty of folks are running their way to completion.

We discovered all of this because Katey’s partner came in to buy cowbells to celebrate and cheer at the last event.  In fact, our bells tend to show up at a lot of racing events, but this is our first official 169 bell!

Katey’s 169 Bevin Bell

 

Katey and her partner, Rick Shoup, often run two races every weekend!  She began her 169 Towns journey in the Spring of 2016 in Prospect, CT and Katey finished on April 14, 2018.  So, needless to say, accomplishing this in just 2 years takes dedication and lots of time.  Katey and Rick often run with their Labrador Quinn and Bulldog Piper.  In fact, in Katey’s finishing photo below, you can see Quinn crossing the line with her.  You can also see a great crowd there to celebrate the victory.

Speaking of celebrating, Rick says the post-event pizza party was quite a loud affair with everyone ringing their Bevin Bells inside the pizza parlor – aren’t you glad you weren’t the other patrons there?!

Congratulations to Katey and the other 25 finishers of this challenge.  Good luck to the remaining 2667 people looking to be crowned.  You can be sure that those of us at Bevin Bells will be cheering you all on!

 

Celebrating the Finish

Katey Crossing the Finish with Quinn

The Cheering Section!


Hockey fans are a fanatical bunch and they know how to cheer for their team!!  I know – I grew up as season ticket holders for the Johnstown (PA) Jets (immortalized in the movie “Slapshot”, where they were called the Charlestown Chiefs).  Talk about a fanatical fans…  As the temps drop in the fall, we start hearing from the hockey teams getting ready for the season, and it brings all those fun memories flooding back!  Our cowbells make great cheering props and even better souvenirs and keepsakes, so I know the fans are still as fanatical.  We sell bells to teams across the country in all sizes and shapes.  From our Long Distance Cowbells  – which range from giant to middlin’ to our Kentucky Bells – a bit softer tone but still a range of sizes, down to our souvenir and ornament bells which make great key chains and holiday ornaments.  

  

 

 

So, if you want to show your team some love, get More Cowbell.  And if your pet isn’t in on the action yet – what are you waiting for – check this out:

 

 

 


L.L. Bean Trail Running Festival
Chooses Bevin Bros. Souvenir Bells

Seriously, folks?  Running 50 miles?  Seems like torture to me, but with the wonderful sound of souvenir bells from Bevin Bells to propel you on, hopefully the participants will conquer the challenge.  Now in it’s 12th year (the first year with L.L. Bean as the presenting sponsor),  the Trail Running Festival is a popular event in Maine, attracting over 2000 participants and spectators.  It is described as a two-day extravaganza of trail races, beer drinking, barbeque, potluck salads and desserts, old time music, and fun family events.   And for four of the major races, each finisher gets what?  A souvenir bell from Bevin Bells when they cross the finish line!  

If you survive the gargantuan 50 mile race you get the gargantuan 12LD cowbell; conquer the 50K race (that’s 31 miles! for those keeping track) and you’ll capture one of our hefty 10LD cowbells; the brave souls who run the 25K will get the adorable XO cowbell.  And those kids who are energetic enough for the kids race, will be rewarded with a yellow version of the XO cowbell.  So, if you’re looking for something to do this Memorial Day weekend, stop by Pineland Farms in Maine, grab some great BBQ and cheer on the runners, or capture a bell of your own by participating!  #TrailRunningPineland  #BevinBells  #ThisIsSerious

L.L. Bean Trail Running Festival at Pineland Farms – Participant Souvenir Event Bells by Bevin Bros. 2017


Shawnee Peak Race Team 2017 Bevin BellYou know you are at a ski race when you hear the iconic sound of cowbells cheering on the racers. This is a tradition that spans the globe. For the 10th year in a row, Shawnee Peak Race Team has ordered Bevin cowbells as ski racing awards and end of season gifts for each of their ski racers – each year they choose a different color.  At the final banquet, coaches get up and talk about each athlete, highlight their accomplishments and hand out the bells. It’s a tradition the kids really look forward to, and it makes for a festive event.  Not to mention, the cowbells serve as great cheering bells during the season!
9 Years of Shawnee Peak Race Team Bevin Bells

You might consider starting a similar tradition for any team or club you are involved with.  It is a cost-effective, high quality gift that will look as good as it sounds!  We can generally get you the bells in under 3 weeks, in any number of colors, with any artwork (up to 3 or 4 colors). Shawnee Peak always chooses our 10LD cowbell (about 3.5″ tall) – the most popular size.  But we do make them smaller and larger.  Check them out here. #GoSPRT  #BevinBells  #Award Bells