Wareham cheer champs set sights on Florida
D-squad looks to raise $50,000 for national competition
Nov 13, 2018
Wareham Vikings cheerleaders are raising $50,000 for a trip to a national competition in Florida after several wins across Massachusetts this fall. Photo courtesy: Raschel Andreia Pratt
A Wareham Pop Warner Junior Vikings cheerleading squad has raised close to $10,000 to cover their expenses traveling to a national competition in Florida, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.
The team will need close to $50,000 if they want to make it to the Pop Warner National Cheer and Dance Championships in Kissimmee, Florida.
The event features more than 300 cheerleading and dance teams from across the country with the competition running from Nov. 30 through Dec. 8.
Coach Raschel Andreia Pratt said D-squad members are hoping to leave Wareham for Florida by Dec. 3.
“These girls have put in a lot of hard work to make it this far,” Pratt said. “They deserve this more than any other team I’ve seen.”
Pratt said the D-squad is the first Wareham cheerleading squad to qualify for the national competition. In 2013, the Wareham Tigers football B-squad competed in the national Pop Warner Super Bowl in Florida, but didn’t bring home a victory.
To qualify for nationals, the cheerleaders took home second place at the New England Pop Warner Regional Competition on Nov. 3 in Lowell.
In total, Pratt said the strictly competition team has won twelve trophies.
“They’ve never given me any signs of slowing down,” she said.
With $40,000 left to go, Pratt said the team will be hosting several fundraisers before their Dec. 3 deadline.
A spaghetti dinner will be held at the Onset VFW on Friday, Nov. 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. with all proceeds directly benefiting the team. Tickets are $10 per person and dinner will include spaghetti, meatballs, salad, rolls and dessert.
The dinner will also feature a 50/50 raffle with a $5,000 grand prize.
On Tuesday, Nov. 27 the team will host a Dine and Donate event at Mezza Luna. All meals purchased during this event will support D-squad’s fundraising efforts.
The team will also hold a bake sale at the Wareham High School Thanksgiving day football game and can be found collecting donations along Main Street almost every single day.
“We’re just trying to get as many people as we can behind us,” Pratt said. “We’re so thankful to all the individuals and businesses who have already donated.”
To donate online, click here.
