The Las Animas Cheerleaders are busy around town and that is just the way coach Christine Dowell and assistant coach Sandee Foulk like it.
On Saturday, the cheerleaders had a car wash and bake sale to raise funds for new uniforms and on Thursday, the project is to clean up the football field.
The goal is to make the cheerleaders part of the community, Foulk said.
Dowell became coach after the previous coach had to resign when she left Las Animas.
“I didn’t want to see the program fade,” Dowell said.
The projects are going to start small, as in cleaning up the football field, but Dowell has big plans for the squad.
She wants to have the squad return to competing eventually and the fund-raisers will grow as the squad matures.
Cheerleaders are required to be positive role models, leaders and good citizens as well as participating in scheduled activities to show support in the community.
“As Cheerleaders, your mission is to promote school spirit and to lead and guide spectator participation at the games. To represent your school is an honor that carries with it the responsibility of leadership and demonstrating positive and supportive loyalty to your school,” the requirements state.
The squad doesn’t have uniforms yet, with the exception of shirts, but they are attempting to raise funds to purchase the uniforms and hopefully leave the next squad some money.
Uniforms for each cheerleader cost approximately $170 and Dowell hopes to start an annual rummage sale to raise funds each year.
“I really hope the community will support us,” she said.
