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Bedford cheerleading team seeks donations for trip to nationals

Submitted by Linnea Hilchey

Bedford Jaguars Adaptive Cheerleading is a Unified sports team integrating young athletes with specials needs with mainstream peer partners.

We are the only adaptive team in New Hampshire associated with the American Youth Football and Cheer, and we need your support! (If you prefer to donate offline via check or would like to be a corporate sponsor, contact us for more information.)

Launched in 2013, our athletes learn and perform cheers for football games along with a routine to perform at local, state and regional competitions. For the first time, this year our adaptive team has been given an incredible opportunity to perform at the American Youth Football and Cheer National Competition in Orlando, Fla., in mid-December.

The team has worked hard for this opportunity, so let’s help make their dreams come true. Your donation is tax-deductible and will go to cover travel expenses for the athletes with special needs and their peer partners.

Our 2015 team consists of seven athletes from grades 2-12 and eight peer partners from grades 7-9. These peer partners assist the special needs athlete on the field and the mat, providing encouragement, support and physical assistance as needed. In doing so, our peer partners experience meaningful life experience in diversity, respect, perseverance, celebration and friendship.

"It has been an amazing experience to watch not only the girls performing, but the reaction of the spectators. Last year at regionals … the adaptive cheer team commanded a standing ovation and streams of tears from spectators throughout the stands as the athletes completed their performance. It was a moment I will never forget." – K. (coach and spirit director)

"The Bedford Jaguars Adaptive Cheer Team goes beyond the preconceived idea of who a cheerleader is: These girls form a community of inclusion and push their daily limits to become not only inspirations to their peers, themselves, but also myself. There is a daily level of work ethic, dedication and compassion that exceeded my expectations. These girls have helped shape my experience working with students, and I am truly proud to call myself a Jaguar." L. (coach)

"The adaptive cheer team has been one of the best experiences that I think I’ve ever had. It’s fun. My favorite thing is the girls and their personalities. I love the girls. They are very nice and it’s a great team." M. (peer partner)

"As the parent of a child with intellectual disabilities and a life-threatening peanut allergy, having the Jaguar Adaptive Cheer program available to our family is a gift. M. has an activity where she can fully participate and not just watch from the sidelines. Our family life has benefited from having the Jaguar Adaptive Cheer program in our lives. We are thankful." D. (parent)

"Without the commitment, enthusiasm, encouragement and patience of the peer partners and coaching staff, our girls might never have found their love of cheer, set foot on a football field, marched bravely out onto that performance mat or lit up a venue for their two and a half minutes of stardom." D. (parent/coach)

Bedford cheerleading team seeks donations for trip to nationals

Submitted by Linnea Hilchey

Bedford Jaguars Adaptive Cheerleading is a Unified sports team integrating young athletes with specials needs with mainstream peer partners.

We are the only adaptive team in New Hampshire associated with the American Youth Football and Cheer, and we need your support! (If you prefer to donate offline via check or would like to be a corporate sponsor, contact us for more information.)

Launched in 2013, our athletes learn and perform cheers for football games along with a routine to perform at local, state and regional competitions. For the first time, this year our adaptive team has been given an incredible opportunity to perform at the American Youth Football and Cheer National Competition in Orlando, Fla., in mid-December.

The team has worked hard for this opportunity, so let’s help make their dreams come true. Your donation is tax-deductible and will go to cover travel expenses for the athletes with special needs and their peer partners.

Our 2015 team consists of seven athletes from grades 2-12 and eight peer partners from grades 7-9. These peer partners assist the special needs athlete on the field and the mat, providing encouragement, support and physical assistance as needed. In doing so, our peer partners experience meaningful life experience in diversity, respect, perseverance, celebration and friendship.

"It has been an amazing experience to watch not only the girls performing, but the reaction of the spectators. Last year at regionals … the adaptive cheer team commanded a standing ovation and streams of tears from spectators throughout the stands as the athletes completed their performance. It was a moment I will never forget." – K. (coach and spirit director)

"The Bedford Jaguars Adaptive Cheer Team goes beyond the preconceived idea of who a cheerleader is: These girls form a community of inclusion and push their daily limits to become not only inspirations to their peers, themselves, but also myself. There is a daily level of work ethic, dedication and compassion that exceeded my expectations. These girls have helped shape my experience working with students, and I am truly proud to call myself a Jaguar." L. (coach)

"The adaptive cheer team has been one of the best experiences that I think I’ve ever had. It’s fun. My favorite thing is the girls and their personalities. I love the girls. They are very nice and it’s a great team." M. (peer partner)

"As the parent of a child with intellectual disabilities and a life-threatening peanut allergy, having the Jaguar Adaptive Cheer program available to our family is a gift. M. has an activity where she can fully participate and not just watch from the sidelines. Our family life has benefited from having the Jaguar Adaptive Cheer program in our lives. We are thankful." D. (parent)

"Without the commitment, enthusiasm, encouragement and patience of the peer partners and coaching staff, our girls might never have found their love of cheer, set foot on a football field, marched bravely out onto that performance mat or lit up a venue for their two and a half minutes of stardom." D. (parent/coach)

Bedford cheerleading team seeks donations for trip to nationals

Submitted by Linnea Hilchey

Bedford Jaguars Adaptive Cheerleading is a Unified sports team integrating young athletes with specials needs with mainstream peer partners.

We are the only adaptive team in New Hampshire associated with the American Youth Football and Cheer, and we need your support! (If you prefer to donate offline via check or would like to be a corporate sponsor, contact us for more information.)

Launched in 2013, our athletes learn and perform cheers for football games along with a routine to perform at local, state and regional competitions. For the first time, this year our adaptive team has been given an incredible opportunity to perform at the American Youth Football and Cheer National Competition in Orlando, Fla., in mid-December.

The team has worked hard for this opportunity, so let’s help make their dreams come true. Your donation is tax-deductible and will go to cover travel expenses for the athletes with special needs and their peer partners.

Our 2015 team consists of seven athletes from grades 2-12 and eight peer partners from grades 7-9. These peer partners assist the special needs athlete on the field and the mat, providing encouragement, support and physical assistance as needed. In doing so, our peer partners experience meaningful life experience in diversity, respect, perseverance, celebration and friendship.

"It has been an amazing experience to watch not only the girls performing, but the reaction of the spectators. Last year at regionals … the adaptive cheer team commanded a standing ovation and streams of tears from spectators throughout the stands as the athletes completed their performance. It was a moment I will never forget." – K. (coach and spirit director)

"The Bedford Jaguars Adaptive Cheer Team goes beyond the preconceived idea of who a cheerleader is: These girls form a community of inclusion and push their daily limits to become not only inspirations to their peers, themselves, but also myself. There is a daily level of work ethic, dedication and compassion that exceeded my expectations. These girls have helped shape my experience working with students, and I am truly proud to call myself a Jaguar." L. (coach)

"The adaptive cheer team has been one of the best experiences that I think I’ve ever had. It’s fun. My favorite thing is the girls and their personalities. I love the girls. They are very nice and it’s a great team." M. (peer partner)

"As the parent of a child with intellectual disabilities and a life-threatening peanut allergy, having the Jaguar Adaptive Cheer program available to our family is a gift. M. has an activity where she can fully participate and not just watch from the sidelines. Our family life has benefited from having the Jaguar Adaptive Cheer program in our lives. We are thankful." D. (parent)

"Without the commitment, enthusiasm, encouragement and patience of the peer partners and coaching staff, our girls might never have found their love of cheer, set foot on a football field, marched bravely out onto that performance mat or lit up a venue for their two and a half minutes of stardom." D. (parent/coach)