The Picayune Junior High School cheerleaders are hosting the Maroon Tide Cheer 5K run in May to raise funds to offset the costs of cheer camp.
The group is also seeking event sponsors. The deadline is Monday, April 6, seventh graders and cheer captains Danielle Weixel and Zoe Rohrbacker said.
“We are hosting this run to raise funds so that we can attend the National Cheer Academy at the University of Mississippi in Hattiesburg,” Rohrbacker said. “We will use the funds for camp clothes and the bloomers and bows, which are a part of our regular cheerleading outfits.”
There are 11 girls on the junior varsity cheerleader squad and each girl is tasked with raising $225 in sponsorship fees, Rohrbacker.
According to the event flyer, there are two levels of sponsorship, $100 and $50. The sponsors will be listed on the back of the race day T-shirt, sponsor’s board and will be recognized by name after the race. Sponsors will also be entered into a drawing for a Picayune High School football season pass.
The junior varsity cheerleaders perform at the seventh and eighth grade football games on Thursday nights during football season, Weixel and Rohrbacker said.
Last year, Weixel said, the seventh grade team went undefeated. The girls said they are hoping the players will win every game this year.
“We cheer on our football players and get the crowd pumped up,” Weixel said.
At cheer camp, the team learns new cheers, dance routines, stunts and tumbling, Weixel said.
“Cheer camp makes our team better,” Rohrbacker said. “It brings us closer and helps us synchronize our moves.”
The 5K run will be held on Saturday, May 2 at Jack Read Park on Goodyear Boulevard in Picayune.
According to the event flyer, early registration ends April 15. The cost to register for the event is $25. Runners who register on the day of the event are not guaranteed a t-shirt. Only early registrants are guaranteed a t-shirt, the flyer states.
Anyone interested in sponsoring the team can contact cheerleading coach Jessica Smith at 601-347-5466. Checks and a business card can be mailed to Picayune JH/JV Cheer, 1006 Scarlet Drive, Picayune, MS 39466 and must be made payable to JH/JV Cheer.
For more information about the run, contact Page Quinto at 601-347-0117 or Jessica Smith at 601-347-5466.
“This event will also provide the people of Picayune the chance to bond with other residents and make new friends,” Weixel said.