Wareham High School cheerleaders traded in their pom poms for sponges on Saturday, Aug. 5 to raise money for the upcoming season’s competitions and uniforms.

Next to the Wareham Fire Station on Main Street, the cheer team held a car wash.

Co-Captain Isabella Rodrigues said the entire wash was free and the squad accepted any donations.

This year, the team will be competing in the Mayflower Conference for the first time. 

Last year, the squad won second place in the South Coast Conference and went onto the state competition, said Assistant Cheer Coach Carolyn Gomes Vieira.

Though the squad did not place in states, they will be competing in two additional “invitationals,” Gomes Vieira said. At these competitions, the judges provide notes to help the teams improve their routines. 

She added with these notes, the choreographer can adjust their routines and provide more assistance to specific parts “so that we can place higher in the next round.”

Gomes Vieira said, “We really want to amp up.”

However, everything comes with a cost.

Head Cheer Coach Chelsea Seaver said, “Cheerleading is expensive.”

Seaver said the uniforms cost approximately $3,700, pom poms were about $500 and she suspects the invitationals will cost around $150 each.

She added the team has held car washes in the past “and they always turn out to be a great hit.”

Seaver said, “We do a lot of fundraising throughout the season, so everything helps going back to the kids.”

“They deserve it,” she added. “Cheerleading — it's been around forever. I cheered when I was their age for high school and it’s exciting.”

She said, “We're just so excited to compete again and we'll do great again.”

Co-Captains Rodrigues and Katyra Campbell will be seniors this year. 

Heading into the final season of their high school careers, both girls plan to pursue cheer in college as well.

In regard to this season, Campbell said, “We are excited and it's going to be fun.”