G-E-T grad sings national anthem at Packers preseason finale

A Galesville native made a grand entrance to Lambeau Field last weekend.

Hunter Evenson had never been to a home game for the Green Bay Packers before last Saturday, and he entered the historic football stadium by taking the microphone that has been held by some of the greatest performers in the world.

Evenson, a 2012 graduate of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School and former K-12 choir teacher in the Independence School District, kicked off the action at Saturday’s National Football League (NFL) preseason finale by singing the National Anthem for the green-and-gold.

Evenson performed the Star Spangled Banner for the Packers and the thousands of fans in the seats, a moment he called a “dream”.

“It’s going to be nerve-racking because I’ve never sang for that many people before, but I hope I do Packer Nation proud when I sing for them,” Evenson said last week before the game.

Saturday’s performance was possible after Evenson reached out to multiple Wisconsin sports teams, including the Packers, Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks with a video of him singing the national anthem. 

The Packers responded a few weeks later inviting him to sing at the game.

Evenson has toured Lambeau Field before, but Saturday was the Packer fan’s first game in person.

“It’s very exciting. I honestly am not afraid of how I’m gonna sing the national anthem, I just hope everybody else thinks that I do the song justice. And the idea that the Packers and the Seahawks are going to be out there listening as I do it, that’s the icing on the cake right there.”

Mason Crosby is no longer a Packer, but Evenson mentioned Green Bay’s all-time leading scorer as one of his favorites over the years.

“Hearing thousands of fans applauding afterward, maybe even getting the recognition from one of the players or complimented would be pretty sick,” he said.

The current choir teacher in the Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School District has been a Packers fan for his entire life, and attending his first game with his family added a special piece to the moment, too.

“It will be cool that I get to finally tell the rest of my family that I got to enjoy a Packer game in person with my family, and we’ll make sure we enjoy it.”