2009 SITA's Helping Hands Recipient
Western Carolina Elite Cheer and Dance

Western Carolina Elite Cheer and Dance, Inc. was founded in 2008 by co-owners Latresa Phillips and Shannon Knott in an effort to provide an athletic outlet for girls in the area where few other opportunities existed. The gym is located in Graham County, NC, a small community with one elementary, one middle and one high school. "Western Carolina Elite hopes to fill the gap for many of our young people by offering cheer, dance, tumbling, martial arts and other opportunities to engage them in a positive environment, to challenge them and to give them direction, hopefully keeping them in school and drug free," says Latresa Phillips. "SITA's Helping Hand gives our program hope to make a difference in our gym and our community," she continues.

After experiencing two floods in their gym in 2009, Western Carolina Elite faced expenses that strained an already tight budget for gym owners trying to keep the program going and families struggling to keep their children enrolled. Coaches Cassidy Phillips and Cicely Mason volunteer their time at the gym. "The members of SITA are thrilled to give Western Carolina Elite a Helping Hand this year as they work to grow their program and provide the young people of Graham County the opportunity to benefit from life skills learned from cheerleading," says SITA Vice-Chairman Debbie Bracewell.

"We are 30 girls, 4 coaches and three teams strong," explains Latresa. "Receiving SITA's Helping Hand is such an honor for our team."

2008 SITA's Helping Hands Recipient
United Pythons Superstars, United Cheerleading

The recipients of the 2008 SITA’s Helping Hand program are the members of United Pythons Superstars, a special needs cheerleading squad from Columbus, GA. The team has been together for six years and is made up of children, young adults and adults. They came together from all over the city to form a team, and are very special to the community. Through participation in the team, the members have blossomed into social butterflies. Children who never had friends now have a group of friends. Children with autism who did not want to be touched or even touch anyone else now actively participate on the squad.

Program owner Heath Perkins has taken this program under his wings and, at no cost to the parent, facilitates the program every year. He provides the facility, the instructors, uniforms and registration fees for competitions for all team members. He has never asked the parents for money to pay for any of these expenses. Coach Jennifer Short is responsible for taking 20 special needs cheerleaders and coordinating a routine they are able to execute.

Personal growth, teamwork, friendship and dedication of coaches are all components of every cheerleading squad, but can not be better displayed than through the team members of the United Pythons Superstars.

2007 SITA's Helping Hands Recipient
Enterprise HS, Enterprise, AL

On March 1, 2007, Enterprise, AL was hit by a tornado that destroyed the high school and took the lives of eight students. Two of those students were on the cheerleading squad. Not only is the team starting over to replace material items, they are healing from the loss of two very special friends and teammates.

“The Enterprise High School cheerleaders are forever grateful for the opportunity to be SITA's Helping Hands squad,” says Coach Heather Mitchell. “The tragedy that struck our school and community on March 1, 2007 has had a direct impact on our cheerleading program as we lost two of our own. Our goal this year is to continue the pride and school spirit that has been a direct result of this tragedy and honor our fallen teammates in the process. Our motto for this year is "Moving Forward, yet always remembering". Thank you for truly lending a helping hand not only in replacing material items, but in helping to mend our broken hearts.”

Coach Mitchell attended the 2007 SITA Annual Meeting where she shared the story of hope and rebuilding, and expressed the gratitude of her cheerleaders for the gifts given by SITA members. SITA Chair Darren Thompson congratulated the Enterprise High School cheerleaders and their coach. “We are thrilled to be able to help Enterprise HS rebuild its cheer program and honor the team members who lost their lives in the tornado,” stated Thompson.

2006 Red Carpet Year Recipient
Ft. Campbell HS, Ft. Campbell, KY

In 2006, the cheerleaders at Ft. Campbell lived in an atmosphere of crises. These individuals lived daily with the fear of knowing their parents worked in a challenging profession—the military. Many of these cheerleaders had parents deployed around the world working in war zones.

Coach Pam McFarland says her cheerleaders all come from various backgrounds, call another state home, and have attended 5-8 schools from kindergarten to high school. What impresses her most “is the grace with which they handle all the challenges they face.” When her own husband was injured in Iraq, McFarland’s cheerleaders held this team together and supported Coach McFarland as she tended to her family.

Supporting their school athletic teams is their main purpose as cheerleaders, but they also contribute to their community. Hosting blood drives, working with the Ft. Campbell Youth Services, and working as volunteer coaches keeps these young people busy. These cheerleaders collected DVD’s and video games for injured soldiers and their families as they return home to Blanchfield Community Hospital.

When notified about winning the contest, the cheerleaders were “thrilled and shocked.” Because of the generosity of SITA members, the Ft. Campbell cheerleaders received new uniforms to replace their twelve-year-old uniforms, and were able to spend less time fundraising and more time with family members returning from Iraq.