This Beverly Team Really Wants To Go To Disney World

BEVERLY, MA — The Beverly Gladiators cheerleading team just had a great season, coming in hot with first and second place wins that sent them to regionals where they placed again. What are they doing to celebrate? They're going to Disney World. (They just need a little help).

The youth cheerleading team recently placed third at regionals, securing a spot at nationals, this February at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.

"It's a really big deal. I feel like it's what they've been waiting for all these years to finally try to get there," said Gladiator Volunteer Coach Carrie Stanley, who went through the Beverly youth cheerleading program when she was younger as her daughters did after her.

The Nationals Cheerleading Championships are televised on ESPN to more than 100 millions of homes and 32 countries nationwide each year. The Championship is also streamed live on Varsity TV on Varsity.com.

"We're all very excited. A lot of hem have been doing this since first and second grade and knowing that this is the last year for them and the only chance to go, it was such a great feeling," said Stanley, who has been a coaching for the past nine years and who has been with many of the girls since first grade. This is her final year coaching, she said. And all the years she's been connected with the sport she only remembers a team going down in 2016. "This is not a regular thing for Beverly."

Stanley said she was proud of the girls' accomplishments and passion and drive and happy that they could experience the massive competition after years of practice 2 hours a night, 4 nights a week throughout the football season.

The league doesn't pay for this competition or trip, but the coach said she's optimistic that the team's drive will also help in their fundraising efforts as they look for community support to help with much of the extra expenses.

They are working to cover everything from extra insurance to practice room rental for the next month as well as the cost of a mandatory credential camp each of the girls have to undergo before they can head to Florida.

"Nearly all of the girls have made a commitment to go," she said, "Now they're working hard to help raise the money to make it happen.

Stanley said as of Dec. 15, the girls had had a number of fundraisers in addition to a GoFundMe campaign and raised $8,000 of their $25,000 goal. She said she was hopeful that the next two fundraisers, a one at the Roll Up Palace on December 21 where the girls would host a bake sale and craft sale and a Dining For Dollars event at Chipotle in Beverly on January 7 could help bring in the rest of the insurance money.

"We've been doing pretty OK," she said noting that if they didn't quite make their $25,000 goal most of them could still go, but, she said, there were a few families on the team who she knew it would be helpful to cover the hotel room stays for and any bit helped.

"I'd like to be able to help out if we can," she said adding this experience would stay with them forever.

The team is made up of 23 7th & 8th graders. They placed in both of the local NECYFL competitions with a combined high score winning them the Riley Fessenden Grand Championship. They went on to compete at the New England Cheer and Dance Competition in Boston where they won a National Bid to perform in the National High School Cheerleading Championship at ESPN World of Sports in Disney.

To make a donation, visit the team’s GoFundMe Page.

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Photo courtesy Coach Stanley