DU Cheer Squad gives a lesson in cheer to Denver Boys & Girls Club members
CBS Colorado has many partners for its Together for Colorado Toy Drive. One of the most valued partners is the University of Denver Athletics Department. The department is committed to collecting toys at many of its home games and matches. The department even holds a Teddy Bear Toss at a home hockey game. Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped stuffed animal, and they get to throw them out on the ice during the first intermission. This year, Boys & Girls Club members were able to get out on the ice to help pick up the dozens of stuffies, all of which will be donated to the Together for Colorado Toy Drive.
Club members at the Josephine Hodgkins Boys & Girls Club got the chance to meet a few of the DU cheerleaders in person.
"Today, we are teaching the Boys & Girls Club Cheer Team some cheers, chants and just teaching them kind of what we do," said Jacqueline, a junior at DU and a member of the cheer team.
More than a dozen club members are eagerly soaking up the knowledge of the college level cheerleaders.
"I've always been into like gymnastics and stuff and my mom did cheer, so I kind of wanted to try it," said Nevaeh, a 13-year-old club member.
"I saw my friend do it, and she said it was pretty fun. I tried it and I thought that it was so fun," said Gabby, a 9-year-old club member.
The fun is learning some new moves and cheering as loud as they can. The club members learn how to stand ready and what a spirit entrance is.
"It's like when you're coming in you've got be like...you've got to let them know you're energetic, and that you want your team to win," Nevaeh explained.
This is the kind of experience that members get at the Boys & Girls Club. An opportunity that they wouldn't have otherwise. It has the potential to spark an interest, and allows the members to determine what their future can look like.
"I just feel like if I do something instead of going home watching TV, staying on TikTok, it will like motivate me to do more things," Nevaeh told CBS News Colorado.
"Getting on a more individual level with us, I hope that they take away that college cheer is an amazing thing in many ways, and they are more than capable of getting to that level," Jacqueline added.
LINK: Together for Colorado Toy Drive
You can support the DU Cheer Team and the Together for Colorado Toy Drive by dropping off a new, unwrapped toy during the Shop N' Drop event on Saturday, December 7, 2024. The Cheer Squad will be on the circle drive at Magness Arena from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to take donations.