Riverhead Cheer Team Performs Before Send-Off To Nationals

RIVERHEAD, NY —Hometown spirit will be in full swing Tuesday as the Riverhead varsity cheer team performs a Nationals Showcase before heading off to the finals in Florida.

The showcase takes place Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Riverhead Middle School, located at 600 Harrison Avenue. "Come support these amazing group of ladies as they perform one final time before they take the trip down to Florida," those organizing the showcase said.

The team leaves at 5 a.m. Wednesday for the trip to Florida. They have also qualified for the counties with a Top 5 finish.

"I'm so proud of these girls — positive and hardworking," Riverhead girls' coach Stephanie Piraino said. "This is the culmination of great deal of heart, an inspiring amount of hard work — and the product of a group of athletes that are grateful and ready to showcase their comeback!"

The showcase is another jewel in the crown of the team's journey toward the finals: Despite a pandemic and a failed budget, nothing could quell the spirit and determination of the Riverhead varsity cheer team —they're headed to the 2022 Universal Cheerleaders Association' national cheerleading championship in Florida.

But they have needed help to fund the journey.

According to a GoFundMe page, "Riverhead Cheer — Road to Nationals," created by parent Stephanie Tomko, the student athletes recently competed at a UCA regional event and, after years of hard work and dedication, placed second in their division.

"That performance has earned them a bid to attended UCA nationals in Orlando, Florida, in February, where they will represent their school and community by competing against the best teams in the nation," Tomko wrote.

"These strong and talented athletes have overcome significant hurdles over the last two years — from navigating a global pandemic, to losing sports funding due to a failed school budget. Instead of giving up, they pushed forward, they raised each other up, and they put in the hard work, both in the gym as well as the classroom," Tomko said. "Their efforts have brought them one step closer to their ultimate goal."

The nationals trip is an incredible opportunity, yet costly, estimated at $30,000 to $35,000, which is not school-funded, Tomko said.

"To help offset the costs associated with this trip we are asking our friends, families, alumni and community to help this Riverhead varsity cheer team 'Ride the Wave to the Nationals,'" she said.

Piraino expressed pride in the students. "This is huge for the girls," she said.

Parent Francine Pantaleo added: "We are so very proud of the girls. They work so hard. The boosters have not been able to fundraise in the standard way for going on two years," she said. "The budget and COVID killed the way we can fundraise. In past years we have been able to raise the bulk of the cost to get them to nationals," she said.

Pantaleo, who has spent years helping to support the girls in the traditional way, through fundraising and booster events, said this year's road to the national competition is "bittersweet because we could not get them there. They will be paying their own way — and money can be tight. "

Parents have helped to organize some raffles and the GoFundMe is critical, she said.

But despite the obstacles, Pantaleo said it means everything, that the girls are able to set off on their journey. "This is the experience of a lifetime for them," she said. "They are so excited for it."

Riverhead Cheer Booster is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization.

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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