Annual cheer competition in Delaware raises money for a new pediatric ICU at a local hospital.
More than 200 cheerleading teams descend upon The Chase Center in Wilmington, DE, each February to compete in the annual Cheer for Charity competition. The teams have a standing mission, which was established almost a decade ago by Jeff Martino from the Tri-State CheerNastics gym. With the event each year, the cheer squads that participate raise money to benefit A.I. duPont Hospital in Wilmington. Martino and his fellow organizers have committed to try to donate enough money to open a new pediatric intensive care unit at the hospital, and after years of fundraising, the goal is finally within reach.
In 2006, Martino and his wife, who was a nurse at A.I. duPont Hospital at the time, wanted to start their own cheer competition that could bring teams of all types from the entire region together in support of a worthy cause. Martino's gym, Tri-State CheerNastics, hosted the first event, and has continued to sponsor it annually for the last eight years. Cheerleading squads from Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia travel to Wilmington every February to compete in the tournament. It features every type of cheer team imaginable, including high school, all-star, Catholic Youth Ministry, recreational, and special needs squads.
Proceeds from the Cheer for Charity event go to the Nemours Partnership for Children's Health, which benefits duPont Hospital. Initially, Martino pledged that he would try to raise $100,000 for the hospital, but when that number was easily surpassed in a few years, he upped his goal to $250,000. As of the 2013 event, the tournament had raised $225,000, so organizers again modified their pledge. Currently, they are hoping to raise an additional $150,000 over the next five years of Cheer for Charity, which will go toward expanding the hospital's new PICU. The new unit will provide single-bed, private rooms for the sickest children in the region as well as guaranteeing that doctors have access to the latest advancements in medical technology.
In addition to the money raised through participation fees, squads also have the opportunity to compete for the Chairman's Cup. After completing their own fundraising efforts in their communities, the teams that collect the most money for the hospital win a trophy. The 8th Annual Cheer for Charity tournament took place on February 16 and 17, 2013, and the Chairman's Cup went to Kehler's Dragons and Providence Creek Academy. Combined, the two teams raised almost $5,000.
The 2014 Cheer for Charity event will be held on February 15th and 16th, and it promises to be the biggest competition yet. You can visit the organization's website for more information about how to participate as well as how to donate to the cause:http://www.cheerforcharity.net/index.html
You can watch a video, which highlights one of the most recent Cheer for Charity events, here:http://www.delawareonline.com/videonetwork/796338637001/Cheering-for-cha...
Sources:
http://www.nemours.org/about/mediaroom/press/dv/cheerforcharity.html
http://www.cheerforcharity.net/Chairman.html
http://www.cheerforcharity.net/about.html
Image courtesy of Delaware Online
http://cmsimg.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Site=BL&D...
Keywords:
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