Local Cheerleaders Face Mad Dash For Cash

Pop Warner

Super Bowl and Cheer and Dance Championships are taking place next week in Orlando, Fla. Each team has to come up with some major cash to compete.

Several local teams have high hopes of attending -- if they can raise the money.

In between school, doing homework and cheerleading practice,Jessica Moy, 10, is busy going door-to-door selling calendars.

Moy is trying to help her Cary Chargers cheerleading squad raise $14,000. The squad has only five days to raise money to pay for their trip.

To keep in line with non-profit guidelines, Pop Warner squads cannot start fundraising for national competitions until they win regionals.

"This puts a lot of pressure on us.We really can't raise money for someplace we don't know we're going," said parent Deanne Wilson.

The Wilders Grove squad has 100 cheerleaders and must raise $40,000. With two-hour practices three times a week, the young girls are used to hard work.

Parents say that the mad dash for cash is worth it.

"Some of these girls have low self-esteem, they don't feel good about themselves. [This has] brought them out of their shell and given them confidence. They're able to do something they can succeed in," said Wilson.

The national competitions will be held next Thursday and Friday at Walt Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Several local squads are among the 100 teams that will compete.

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