CCHS Varsity Coed Cheer squad seeking support to go to internationals

With the deadline fast approaching, Carroll County’s Varsity Coed Cheer Squad is working to raise enough funds to attend the AmeriCheer Internationals competition in Orlando.

The cheer squad earlier competed in regional and state competitions where they scored their highest placement in 30 years and earned an invitation to the international cheer competition in Florida. Since August 2023, the cheer squad has been working to raise the money needed to travel to and attend that event in Orlando.

The trip for 22 cheerleaders — 18 girls and four boys plus coaches and sponsors — will cost about $27,000 for travel, accommodations, food and other expenses but the squad earned a $2,000 bid from AmeriCheer and has raised about another $15,000 through fundraisers and donations.

However, they still need about $7,000 in order to properly attend the competition, along with $3,000 in meal money and the deadline for payment is Feb. 14.

Until then, the squad is welcoming any form of donation that can be given and noted that any amount over $250 will be eligible to receive a tax donation form from the school for a tax write-off.

“We don’t want to make the trip a financial burden to the kids or the parents,” said varsity cheer head coach Ashela Beckham, noting that some students might not otherwise afford the trip. “When we take the kids, they don’t pay for anything while they’re down there ... We don’t want any kid to miss out on the opportunity of going because they can’t afford to pay.”

The cheer squad has held many benefits since August including whimsical fundraisers like paying to have a toilet placed on residents’ yards that they then must pay the team to have it removed. They have also sold bundt cakes, hosted car washes, sold T-shirts, conducted pee-wee camps, and more.

They are also hosting several upcoming fundraisers prior to the deadline including selling more bundt cakes, hosting another pee-wee camp, selling Texas Roadhouse rolls, hosting raffle ticket drawings at Carroll County’s basketball homecoming and selling sponsorship on some of the clothing they will wear at the event.

Beckham, along with her female and male team captains, Riley Darnold and Gage Stone, are confident they will be able to raise the money.

“Everyone really helps with the fundraising and they know that they’re supporting something good out of Carroll County,” Darnold said.

“We do have several donors who have said: ‘If you do not earn the money, we will do our best to have our business donate to you,’ ” Beckham added.

She said the cheer squad has been very blessed with community support — not just supporting the fundraisers by buying items, but by spreading the word by reposting and sharing fundraising news and events on Facebook and in other ways.

“I think it has been unrivaled by the other teams around us,” Beckham said. “Our community is one who takes notice of cheer and who is proud of the accomplishments and proud of these kids continuously no matter what they’re doing.”

If the squad is unable to raise the funds by Feb. 14, there will be no choice but to cancel the trip and not attend. The team will get about 75% of its deposit back, but be much disappointed in not being able to attend. For now they remain confident in the community’s support to help them achieve their goal.

AmeriCheer Internationals is a two-day competition open to cheerleading teams from all over the world. The international competition is a place for teams to be noticed by college cheer coaches who watch videos of national and international teams “to pick out kids that they may be interested in bringing into their college programs,” said Beckham.

“It’s kind of like this place where everybody can come and compete,” Beckham said, noting the competition is always held at Universal Studios in Orlando.

In order to qualify, teams must earn a bid, be invited and pay their way.

For more information on how to support the cheer squad, contact Beckham at ashlea.beckham@carroll.kyschools.us .