Sports

Dakota Cheer and Dance Teams Lend Spirit for Clinics, Cancer Cure

Dakota's cheer and dance teams will be hosting clinics for local girls Oct. 10-13 and selling T-shirts to raise money for the fight against breast cancer.

For nine years the has shared its skill and spirit with local girls through its annual cheer clinic. This year, the team will not only host the Oct. 11 and 13 clinic, but join the dance team to energize the cause of breast cancer awareness as well.

“I wanted to do something with breast cancer this year,” said Michela Worthy, Dakota's varsity cheer coach. “I have had some moms of my cheer team fight breast cancer and I wanted my cheerleaders to give back to the community, so we’re teaming up with dance team to sell T-shirts.”

T-shirt Sales

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T-shirts will be available starting Oct. 5 and can be ordered directly from Worthy at mworthy@cvs.k12.mi.us, purchased during the Oct. 10 and 12 dance clinic, Oct. 11 and 13 cheer clinic, or at the Oct. 14 football game.

Sizes small through XL are $10 and XXL through 3X are $13. All proceeds from the sale of the shirts will benefit the American Cancer Society.

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“October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so I felt this was the best time to do it,” Worthy said. “We’re just trying to get as many shirts out there as we can.”

The shirt's design features the phrase “Dakota Dance and Cheer for a Cure” and a pink breast cancer ribbon on the front, with a quote by Christopher Reeve, “Once you choose hope, anything is possible," on the back.

Girls who participate in the clinics will receive a special T-shirt featuring the breast cancer theme. These shirts are included in the $40 registration fee, which also covers entry to the Oct. 14 game.

Dance and Cheer Clinics

While the T-shirt sales will raise money for breast cancer, the dance and cheer clinics themselves, which are open to girls age 4 through eighth grade, serve as a fund-raiser for the hosting teams.

Spread over two days, the cheer clinic teaches stunts, tumbling, jumps and cheers, “everything we do as cheerleaders,” Worthy said.

The dance clinic, also two days, teaches technical skills and a short routine.

Although the clinics target the elementary and middle school students who will eventually enter , the clinics are open to anyone. For the cheer clinic, Worthy is hoping for a record 130 participants this year.

To give the junior cheerleaders a chance to show off their new skills, all cheer clinic participants are invited to join the 24-member varsity cheer team on the sidelines of the Oct. 14 Dakota football game.

  • Preschool-second grade cheer during the first quarter
  • Third-fifth grade cheer during the second quarter
  • Sixth-eighth cheer during the third quarter

“This is the ninth annual (clinic) and it’s probably hands down our favorite event of the year,” Worthy said. “The fact that we are tying it in with breast cancer awareness has got me very excited.”

Registration for the cheer clinic can be done online at https://onlinereg.cvs.k12.mi.us. The clinic will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. in the Dakota auxiliary gym.

Registration for the dance clinic can also be done online. The cost is $40 and the clinic will be held 6-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 and 12. Junior dancers (age 4 through eighth grade) will perform with the dance team during the halftime show Oct. 14.


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