Friday, July 3, 2009

The Marathon High School varsity cheerleaders are rolling up their sleeves to ensure their trip to cheer camp.

The 11 high school students that compose the MHS varsity squad have to provide $250 each to go to camp at Miami International University, a daunting prospect in a recession. Cheerleading coach Lisa Kendrick, Coach K to her squad, has organized a fundraiser to help the girls who cannot afford it. The cheerleaders will be bagging groceries at Publix on Friday, July 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The cheerleaders hope to raise more than $1,000 through bagging donations from generous customers. "Bagging on July 3 may not be enough," Kendrick told the Free Press. "It's a possibility that we will bag on [July 5] as well." The cheerleaders have a long way to go with raising money, but the girls have shown genuine enthusiasm in achieving their goal. "I really hope we raise the money," cheerleader Sophie Coldren told the Free Press. "Not going to camp would be terrible."

The cheer squad practices twice a week at the MHS gymnasium from 4 to 6 p.m., and Kendrick encourages her squad to "Work harder than the football players." According to Coach Kendrick, the cheerleaders have to both learn and perform somewhere between 20 and 40 cheers by the end of the summer. Kendrick told the Free Press she hopes to remake and improve the cheer squad for the 2009-2010 school year, and that will require commitment from her squad.

With the prospect of paying for a much-desired camp before them, many on the squad have shown a willingness to go the extra mile. "I have a lot of faith in my community. I know they will help us achieve our objective," Alaina Davis said.