Tag Archive for: #vancechartercheerleading

TownTalk: Exciting Times For Vance Charter Cheerleading

/by

Members of the Vance Charter School cheer team weren’t able to get a lot of practice time in before last weekend’s state championship competition – it was that weeklong trip to New York City to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade that kept them off the practice mat.

But just like their months-long fundraising efforts to get all 20 of the VCS high school cheerleaders to make the trip, things turned out OK.

Actually, better than OK.

They brought home another state championship, winning in the the large varsity, no-tumble division.

“The girls put in the work and made it happen,” said Coach Stacey Long, clearly satisfied with the outcome of all the events that have transpired in the last few weeks.

CLICK PLAY!  Story continues below.

But Long isn’t just talking about the most recent competition. She’s talking about the way the girls went out into the community, seeking the $70,000 in donations to help get the whole team to New York, all expenses paid.

That was their goal, she said, and that’s exactly what happened. Thanks to the generosity of more than 50 sponsors across Vance and Granville counties – and beyond – the entire cheer team spent a whole week in the Big Apple, for what surely is a trip of a lifetime.

They visited the Empire State Building, took a harbor cruise to see the Statue of Liberty, visited the 911 Memorial and took in a Rockettes show and a Broadway performance, Long said, all thanks to generous sponsors.

“But the actual Thanksgiving Day parade was very magical,” Long told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk. “The girls were just so excited to be a part of that.”

The parade organizers had many activities planned for the participants, but Long and Assistant Coach Shelley Whitehead planned additional outings. But the girls and their chaperones also had some free afternoon time over the course of the trip, too. Some went shopping, visited Central Park and did a little ice skating, among other activities.

“They really got a lot of New York in,” Long said.

And although the iconic tree at Rockefeller Center wasn’t ready for viewing, they did get to see the Saks Fifth Avenue light show display.

“Every day we got up, there was a little more Christmas,” Long said. “The girls really enjoyed seeing that part of New York.”

But no sooner had they returned home than they set their sights on last weekend’s state championship, held in Raleigh on Dec. 3. Add to that cheering for their Knights’ basketball games and next week’s exam schedule, the girls have maintained a tight schedule.

With practices at 6 a.m. and then again in the afternoon, they put the finishing touches on their 2:30-minute routine.

“These girls have put in at least 12-14 hours (of practice) since May,” Long estimated. Logging all those practice hours has paid off, she added.

With another trophy added to the school’s awards case, Long said she wants the young women to take a little time off from practice and focus their attention to next week’s exams.

Then she hopes they’ll take some time to enjoy the holidays with their families. “We’ll let them reset and recharge,” Long added.

Because as soon as the New Year kicks in, they’ll be back on the practice mats. They have another state competition on Jan. 28 in Raleigh. And they’ll be looking to defend their title, which they won last year.

Here’s a list of cheer team members:

Abby Cole

Brianna Dickerson

Helena Florez

Kelcey Hardee

Catherine Hedgepeth

Emma Hicks

Emma Long

Olivia Long

Maya Lloyd

Shakera Macon

Ziya Perry

Mia Satterwhite

Pearla Tabor

Kelsey Waddle

Cheyanne Burroughs

Kate Carrington

Summer Francis

Alina Gonzalez

Ashley Hennessey

Lauren Taylor

Stacey Long- Coach
Shelley Whitehead- Assistant Coach

Following is a list of Sponsors, provided by the VCS cheer coaches:

Platinum Sponsors:

Oxford Cheer Elite

Spectrum Medical Solutions

Stainback & Satterwhite Law Office

Better Beach Rentals & Sales

Silver Sponsors: 

Parkview Office Plaza

2000/5 Partners, Inc.

Sprinkle Properties

Drake & Seymour Dentistry

Bronze Sponsors:

Currin Dental Lab, Inc.

Shadowing Oaks

Carrington’s Clearing & Grading

Floyd Management & Realty, Inc.

Goddard & Peterson, PLLC

Wilson’s Carpet

Coffeys Bail Bonds

Dr. Hal & Betty Westerholm

Cloninger Law Office, PLLC

Kim Hedgepeth

Joe Rebo & Associates, Inc.

Larry’s Service Company

Kilian Engineering, Inc.

Granville Haunt Farm/Granville Christmas Farm

The Church of the Holy Innocents

Carolina Sunrock

Margier White State Farm Insurance

EFP Capital, Inc.

Henderson Optimist Club

Roberson Family Dentistry

Individual Sponsors:

Medical Arts Pharmacy

The Pegram Agency

River Wind Farm

C&P Body Shop

Jean Burwell

Milano’s in Oxford

Shalag

Jonathan Care, Attorney at Law, PA

C Squared

Wesco, Inc.

Johnny & Callie Yount

Sammie McCraw

Danny & Jane Williams

Union Bank

Oxford Lions Club

Jerry & Dorcel Edmonds

Skippers Forsyth’s BBQ Inc.

John Young

Bojangles

Ray’s Window Cleaning Services

Newcap Inc.

Ed & Angela Reeves

Sparkly Strands Fairy Hair

Susan Crews

John Wyche

Vance Charter Cheerleaders Close To Goal For A Spot In Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

/by

The Vance Charter School cheerleaders are in the home stretch of their fundraising efforts that will result in performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City – they are just $12,000 shy of making their goal.

Head Coach Stacey Long said the group needed to raise about $30,000 for the trip, which would pay for the students but not the chaperones.

“It’s going great,” Long told WIZS News. “We are down to the last $12K – we would love to wrap this fundraising up. She had said they needed to have all the money in by Sept. 1, which is one week away.

The group got the invitation in early May, and Long said to her knowledge, they’re the only cheerleading group in the area ever selected to march in the parade, known for its giant balloons, festive floats and marching bands. The girls will march along the 2.5 mile parade route, then stop and perform at Herald Square in front of Macy’s flagship store.

The cheerleaders have fanned out across Henderson and Oxford, visiting businesses and delivering informational flyers in hopes of drumming up additional donations.

“The girls are pretty excited,” she said. “They are sacrificing not having the holiday with their immediate family,” but an invitation to appear in the parade may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Long said she and assistant coach Shelley Whitehead have worked diligently alongside the cheerleaders to bring the fundraiser to the community’s attention.

If you can help, phone Long at 919.691.3279 or send a message via the

Vance Charter Cheer Leading Facebook page.

The best way to make a financial donation is to send a check to the school:

 

Vance Charter School

Attn: Coach Stacey Long

2090 Ross Mill Rd.

Henderson, NC 27537

VCS Cheerleaders Almost Halfway To Goal Of Marching In Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

/by

The Vance Charter Cheerleading team is almost halfway to its goal of raising the roughly $70,000 needed to be able to make the trip to New York City to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Head Coach Stacey Long said Thursday that the group has raised about $30,000, which is a great start. There’s a Sept. 1 deadline, though, so any and all donations to the fundraiser effort are welcomed at this time.

The group got the invitation in early May, and Long said to her knowledge, they’re the only cheerleading group in the area ever selected to march in the parade, known for its giant balloons, festive floats and marching bands. The girls will march along the 2.5 mile parade route, then stop and perform at Herald Square in front of Macy’s flagship store.

Over the past few weeks, the cheerleaders have fanned out across Henderson and Oxford, visiting businesses and delivering informational flyers in hopes of drumming up additional donations.

Long said the trip will cost about $3,000 per student, and the fundraiser will cover their costs, but not those of the 11 chaperones that will accompany them.

“We go up five nights before the performance,” Long said, adding that there’s a rigorous schedule that includes sightseeing and maybe even a Thanksgiving meal, all part of the “experience.”

“The girls are pretty excited,” she said. “They are sacrificing not having the holiday with their immediate family,” but an invitation to appear in the parade may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Long said she and assistant coach Shelley Whitehead have worked diligently alongside the cheerleaders to bring the fundraiser to the community’s attention.

If you can help, phone Long at 919.691.3279 or send a message via the Vance Charter Cheer Leading Facebook page.

There are various donation levels, beginning with $2,500 Platinum, $1,500 Gold, $1,000 Silver and $500 Bronze, but donations in any amount will be gratefully accepted.

The best way to make a financial donation is to send a check to the school:

Vance Charter School

Attn: Coach Stacey Long

2090 Ross Mill Rd.

Henderson, NC 27537

SportsTalk: Vance Charter Cheerleaders Heading to Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

/by

From a sealed envelope after a recent cheerleading practice, the 21 girls who make up the Vance Charter Cheerleading team discovered that they had been selected to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Stacey Long, the girls’ coach, said there was excitement followed by disbelief. “Is this really happening,” Long quoted the girls as asking on Thursday’s edition of SportsTalk.

No cheerleading team from the area has ever been selected to participate in the parade. Vance Charter will be the first. The hard work and practice has paid off. The team practices a couple of times a week and it was only last school year that Vance Charter participated in its first competition. In February, they went to their second competition and took first place resulting in an invitation to submit a video, FAQ sheet, GPA’s and titles to the parade organization. Two days after submission came the reply that Vance Charter’s Cheerleading squad would be included in this year’s parade.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Long said of the invitation. Long also said that it will be expensive, around $3,000 per girl, to make the trip to the Big Apple for the parade. To that end, fundraising efforts have begun with a goal of $70,000 for the trip which will last for six nights and include various sightseeing opportunities in addition to the participation in the parade. To help with fundraising efforts, the team is going to businesses seeking sponsorships and will have a calendar fundraiser along with conducting a cheerleader camp. The cheerleader camp will cost participants $150 per person with all of the money from the camp and other fund raising projects going to send the Vance Charter Cheerleaders to New York City.

Bronze level sponsorships are $500, Silver is $1,000, Gold $1,500 and Platinum level is $2,500. All donations of any monetary value are welcomed. For more information on how to donate see their Facebook page at facebook.com/Vance-Charter-High-School-Cheerleading-105276945550598 or call Stacey Long at 919-691-3279.

CLICK PLAY!