Local Cheer Squad Hosts Fundraiser at Inland Feed

The Deer Park High School (DPHS) Stag Cheer Booster Club raised $560 during its second annual car wash and lemonade fundraiser at Inland Feed on Saturday, July 11. Organizers said eight cheerleaders participated in the event, washing vehicles for donations while teammates with food handler permits operated a lemonade stand selling fresh-squeezed 32-ounce lemonades for $8 each.

"The community is awesome," said Amy Phillips, Stag Cheer Booster president. "They always show up and are very generous. We find that people love to support the students of DPHS." The lemonade stand was made possible by cheer parent Ashley Dinwiddie, who owns the lemonade business and donated the use of her equipment and supplies for the fundraiser. The event was organized by parents serving on the Stag Cheer Booster Board and marked the second consecutive year Inland Feed has hosted the fundraiser.

Phillips said the partnership began after one of the cheer moms approached the business about holding a car wash last summer. "We had great success at Inland Feed last year, and they were so wonderful to work with," Phillips said. "Inland Feed is so awesome and accommodating. They helped us get the water turned on and gave us a great space to work in." Although this year's fundraiser came up just short of last year's earnings, Phillips said it remains one of the pro- gram's most successful fundraising events.

In addition to the car wash, she said the squad has expanded its fund- raising efforts this summer by bagging groceries for donations at Yoke's Fresh Market and holding a raffle in partnership with Pickett Fence. Phillips said proceeds from the fund- raiser will help cover a variety of expenses throughout the cheer season, including scholarships for cheerleaders needing financial assistance, personalized warm-ups, matching team gear, choreography, camp expenses, meals and snacks, mats, equipment and props, senior banners and gifts, Homecoming activities, and the team's end-of-year banquet. For Phillips, the value of the fundraiser extends well beyond the money raised.

"Fundraisers like this do so much more than raise money," she said. "These events get our cheerleaders into the community and give them an opportunity to share their positivity." Phillips said those interactions help strengthen the relationship between the cheer squad and the community they represent. "When our community visits the games, they have friendly faces to recognize in our squad," she said. "It gives the cheerleaders some ownership and pride in their community and gives the community pride in them...all of which boosts our school and town spirit." Cheer captain Emilee Griffin, a junior at DPHS, said the fundraiser provided an opportunity for the team to spend time together while connecting with local residents.

"I wanted to participate in the fundraiser so I could spend more time with my team, and get to know everyone a little bit more," Griffin said. "Also earning the money for our work meant a lot." Griffin said the highlight of the event for her was interacting with community members. "My favorite part of the event was getting to see all of these people help us and getting to talk with them about our cheer," she said. She added that the support from local residents means a great deal to the team. "It means a lot to me.

I love knowing that people actually see us and are willing to help us in any way, shape, or form." Cheer captain Bella Todd, a junior at DPHS, said the fundraiser was meaningful because it allowed the team to support the program while building connections throughout the community. "I wanted to participate in the fund- raiser because it’s an honest way to make money for our program as well as connect with the community and a fun way to bond as a team," Todd said. Todd said she enjoyed getting to know the people who stopped by.

"My favorite part of the event was getting to talk to people and hear about their day and/or stories, overall just getting to know my community," she said. She added, "Community support is something sacred; it’s something that creates value in being a cheerleader in our district." Todd said that the donations raised throughout the season will help the team participate in opportunities they might not otherwise be able to afford. "Our donations we’ve made this season will help us be able to help pay for our equipment list while also helping us to go places and have experiences we wouldn’t be able to have without all the help and the generous donations.”

The windy conditions created one memorable moment during the fundraiser when the team's giant inflatable lemonade stand repeatedly caught the gusts before volunteers were forced to deflate it. "The wind kept gusting and nearly blew the thing away," Phillips said. "We ended up having to deflate it, but we still sold lemonade." Phillips said she was proud of the eight cheerleaders who helped make the event successful. "I was super proud of the girls' ability to wash cars, hold signs, and sell lemonade with just the eight that were able to come," she said.

"They have great attitudes, worked hard, and never once complained." As the team prepares for the upcoming season, Phillips said she hopes the community will continue learning more about competitive cheerleading and supporting the squad both at school events and competitions. "Community support is everything," she said. "The cheerleaders lead the community at the sporting events, and we want that relationship to remain a strong and positive one. We hope to get more awareness out about our competitions so that community support can follow the squad while they're on the mats competing." "We represent Deer Park," Phillips added, "and it's wonderful to have a great relationship with the town you are representing."