Take Action in Your Community on September 9

Cheerleaders…Calling all cheerleaders

Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA), National Cheerleaders Association (NCA), and United Spirit Association (USA) want you to participate in National School Spirit Day on September 9, 2009!

National School Spirit Day is a newly designated holiday to celebrate leadership among cheerleaders, and we want you to join us on this national day of school spirit and service. Why? Because we know that cheerleaders are the best at spreading a positive message, and we need you to take action!

How Can You Get Involved?

There are many ways to get involved in National School Spirit Day. There are two goals set for you on this day: 1) Be a visible leader in your school and 2) perform good deeds in your community. For example, instead of having a regular practice on this day, coaches and cheerleaders can dedicate their practice time to serving the community and showing their school support. We know that you help out tremendously throughout the year, but this is a day to make sure everyone knows the power of cheerleaders!

This summer, Varsity's cheer camp organizations are encouraging cheerleaders to make 09-09-09 a day of service in their community. Your camp instructors will talk to you about the importance of this day and what you can do to get involved. We are hoping this day shows your school, parents, and neighbors that when cheerleaders work together, they can make a big difference in the community. Each of our camp organizations is celebrating the day in a different way. Here are some of the ideas they are encouraging.

UCA's Heroes Pep Rally

To celebrate National School Sprit Day, UCA has declared the week of September 7-11 as American Spirit Week. On September 7, the UCA staff will perform on the Jerry Lewis’ Labor Day telethon. Every year UCA helps raise money for MDA and this year marks the 20th year UCA cheerleaders have been donating money and performing in the Telephone. This day also kicks off UCA’s Operation: American Spirit. UCA is donating their time by performing on the Jerry Lewis’ Labor Day telethon, click here to tell us how your squad is donating their time. On September 9, (9/9/09) cheerleaders across the country will be performing acts of community service to give back to their communities. On September 11, UCA is asking teams to make the theme of their next pep rally a Heroes Pep Rally! UCA instructors will show the teams attending their camps how to run this Heroes Themed Rally. The Friday night after School Spirit Day is September 11 - an especially moving day to recognize our often unsung heroes. Invite your local fire and police departments, EMTs, National Guard members, retired veterans, and anyone else who works tirelessly to ensure that you are safe every day to be your special guests. At the rally, ask them to stand be recognized and have the crowd salute these everyday heroes.
Get more info about Operation: American Spirit!

NCA's Contribution to Make-A-Wish Foundation

NCA has teamed up with Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. At camp this year, the NCA staff is encouraging cheerleaders to join them in bringing hope, strength, and jot to Wish Kids through volunteering and fundraising. You can find more information on how to get started on nca.varsity.com – look for the Make-A-Wish logo, and click it.

USA's Military Pep Rally

USA is focusing on military heroes and are using a Friday Night Pep Rally to honor the men and women who put their lives on the line for everyone who lives in the great country. You and your team can do this also. Dedicate an entire night to the military at your next pep rally or football game. Have current military members visit, and recognize them with a crowd standing ovation.

What Else Can You Do?

• Visit a nursing home and perform simple cheers for the residents
• Offer to clean up the school grounds – pull weeds, pick up trash, plant flowers, tear down old signs
• Fundraise for a charity outside the grocery store
  
• Ask if you can visit young patients at a children’s hospital or children’s wing in your community
• Offer to walk your neighbor's dog
• Read to younger schoolchildren – for inspiration, visit http://cheereader.com for ideas on running a reading project
• Have a car wash for charity
• Teach cheers at a local day care center
• Get involved with the Make A Wish Foundation
• Dust off the trophy cases for all of your school’s teams and make sure they reflect everyone's accomplishments
• Hang locker tags on all lockers with messages of encouragement
• Collect money for the Muscular Dsytrophy Association's Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon & check out UCA staffers performing on the show!
• Offer to keep score for other teams, or help them out making signs for upcoming events

Stand Up and Be Noticed!

You have your calendars marked for 09.09.09 for National School Spirit Day, you've got your activities planned, and you're just about ready to be a part of history. What's next? Tell the world what you're up to, of course! Inside Cheerleading magazine is proud to be an official partner and sponsor for National School Spirit Day, and they want to tell your story!

In the November/December 2009 issue, iC will be featuring 10 programs that made a difference on 09.09.09.

To submit your story and digital photos, click on the "Share your Plan" button above. Tell your story and submit as many photos as you'd like. Please note that by submitting this information, you grant Inside Cheerleading magazine permission to tell your story and publish the photos in the pages of iC.

For more information on National School Spirit Day and how to participate, keep checking Varsity.com before September 9!