ANDERSON — Indianapolis Colts fans of all ages used Blue Friday to celebrate their favorite team playing in Sunday’s Super Bowl against the New Orleans Saints.

Jordan, a preschooler at North Anderson Children’s Center day care, happily told her teachers who her favorite Colts player was as she pointed out “an 8 and a 1” on her pink Peyton Manning jersey. Jordan and her classmates, from infants to preschoolers, celebrated Blue Friday by wearing their favorite Colts gear and painting their faces with blue horseshoes.

After nap time, the preschoolers joined in a cheer of “Go, Colts, Go” as their teachers explained the excitement the children felt over the Colts dress-up day.

“Most of them know it’s something to do with football,” teacher Elisha Dulworth said of the about 25 children who dressed up Friday.

Across town at Kathleen Gregory’s salon on Broadway, stylist Laura Gosser said Friday she wasn’t taking kindly to people who aren’t Colts fans.

“You get shunned and reprimanded by me big time,” she said.

Gosser and her fellow stylists dressed up in their Colts gear all this week and decorated the salon with blue-and-white ribbons and Colts posters. Even the clients matched the decor.

“All of us girls who come and get our hair done here are super fans,” said Connie Johnson as stylist Sharyl Johnson worked on her hair.

Sharyl Johnson said the stylists at Kathleen Gregory’s like to decorate and dress up for various occasions.

“We decorate in here for every holiday, so we couldn’t leave the Colts out,” she said. “All bets are for the Colts here.”

Client Norma Pugsley said she believes the Colts will come out victorious Sunday but not without a fight.

“I think they’ll win, but I think they’ll have a hard time doing it,” she said.

Stylist VaRae Blount said Blue Friday was only one event salon workers got excited about.

“We do all kinds of crazy things in here,” she said. “We’re kind of a crazy crew; we’re not your fancy schmanzy people.”

Saint John’s Medical Center, one of Madison County’s largest employers, showed some of the most Colts spirit Friday with a blue-haired DJ playing Colts songs during lunch in the cafeteria. About 10 departments within the hospital participated in a decorating contest with the administrative offices winning the contest under “head coach” President Tom VanOsdol.

“We decided to make it like we were the Saint John’s Colts,” said Jennifer Fullen, who helped organize the decorating project for the administrative offices.

Other administration employees pretended to be various members of the Colts front office, and the lone Saints fan, David Maxwell, was designated the waterboy.

Other areas in the administrative hallway were designated the press conference room, media room and locker rooms.

“This is very cutthroat,” said Mission Services Coordinator Elizabeth Dolenski, who helped organize the contest. “They have asked me the last 24 hours who the winner is. They have been in my office all morning.”

As the winning decorators enjoyed their lunch while wearing blue hair, administrative office employee Peggy Reynolds said the contest was a great morale booster for the hospital.

“Everyone in the office gets fired up,” she said. “It’s been nice for all our associates to see that administration can have fun.”

Dolenski said hospital workers already were asking her what the hospital would do Monday if the Colts win the Super Bowl.

“That’s our (game) prediction: We’re already planning for Monday,” she said.

Contact Aleasha Sandley: 640-4805, aleasha.sandley@heraldbulletin.com.