Spreading Eagle Spirit--Cheerleaders Take Part In Community Service Projects
By Emma Duncan--Eagle Assistant Editor
Go! Go Eagles! Go, go, go Eagles! Go! Go Eagles! Go, go, go Eagles!
When this infamous campus cheer is heard, the cheerleaders are normally close by stunting or rooting for the Eagle Athletes. However, these girls do much more on campus than this.
“[We] videoed a Teacher Appreciation Video for Teacher Appreciation Week, videoed a welcome cheer and sent it to the new teachers at FCHS, prepared goodie bags for the new teachers at FCHS, made Welcome Back signs to display around our school before school started, [and] videoed a fitness routine for one of Mrs. Crider's classes,” began Cheer Coach Marsha Lopez.
These projects even extended outside campus limits.
“[We] mailed cards and letters to residents in a local nursing home, videoed a routine with messages to K92 DJ Freddy Mac who moved out of state this summer, [and] videoed a Christmas routine (cheers and dances) for the local nursing home,” Lopez said.
Cheerleaders were more than willing to help make a difference.
"Cheerleaders are supposed to be involved in their community," junior Halee Clements shared. "We need to show our community we care."
Senior Grace Hahn elaborated by describing why she takes part in these projects.
“I know how important [our community service is] to those in the community, and I just want to do my part,” she said.
Normally, Eagle cheerleaders would take part in other forms of community service, but due to the pandemic, they had to adapt and overcome.
“We just had to get creative with our ideas because of all of the restrictions, but we were able to do quite a bit, especially under the circumstances,” Lopez explained. “We really did miss doing some of the things we do every year like cheering at Relay For Life, working at the Independence Festival, hosting our Youth Cheerleading Clinic, participating in All-Star Day, and helping out at Freshman Orientation, but we hope to resume with those activities when they come around this year!”
Regardless of these changes, community members still felt an impact from the cheer team's work.
“I was moved to Cincinnati, Ohio for a new job; but before I left, I got a very sweet video of the cheerleaders, who did an amazing farewell routine for me,” DJ Freddy Mac commented. “It was really cool to know that I made such an impact on them that they took the time to make something special, just for me. It really meant a lot, and I cannot say thank you enough."
The cheer team plans to continue doing community service work for years to come, regardless of the status and progression of COVID-19.
“We don't have anything scheduled right now, but we will definitely do some other things. We feel very strongly that part of our mission as cheerleaders is to uplift the community as well as our school, so we are always looking for opportunities to do so! We just hope that we have been able to spread some happiness and cheer during a very challenging year,” closed an upbeat Lopez.