Emery All-Star Cheer, big stars from a small town

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The Emery All-Star cheerleading squad went all the way to Los Angeles, Calif. and back for the National competition. A lot of hard work and preparation went into the trip in the weeks before they left. They held a number of fund raisers to accumulate the money needed to take the team to California. They didn’t just ask for handouts but these cheerleaders rolled up their sleeves and worked hard for their money. They cleaned the grounds and washed windows at Nielson Construction in Huntington. They also cleaned the entire Huntington softball complex. Another of their fund raisers included a raffle and they held a cheer show performance where they invited cheer groups from Carbon and Emery counties to come and participate.
The group had a fund raising goal of $5,000 and because of their dedication they were able to earn more than that amount for their trip.
The group while fund raising were also putting in extra hours for the practice needed to perform in California. It’s not all about cheering and practicing though, this group has formed some tight friendships which will last a life time. The trip to California was also made a little more perfect with the purchase of matching bags for the whole team. The bags are pretty snazzy. The team drew names for secret sisters and brothers so they could sneak little gifts into the rooms at Nationals.
Becky Bunnell is the leader for the cheer squad and she had this to say about their performance. “The Elites did so awesome at Nationals. It was their best performance yet. They were full of energy and confidence. Many of them commented they weren’t even nervous. I was so proud of them, it was well worth the trip. On our play time we swam in the pool at the motel, played games in the rooms. We went to Venice beach and swam in the ocean. The kids buried each other in the sand. We shopped and bought funny hats and glasses. We ate along the beach while the seagulls tried to steal our food.
“We went to Hollywood Boulevard and walked the walk of fame and saw the stars in the cement of the famous people. We had our pictures taken with characters and shopped more. We drove around lost a lot in LA but we laughed so much. It was a great experience for our team,” said Bunnell.
This team isn’t done for the season, they had competitions at Lagoon on May 9. The tryouts for the Elites will be on May 27. They also have plans to go to camp and perform at local events throughout the summer.
Emery All-Star Try-outs
Emery all-Star Cheerleading Elites Team try-outs. May 27 10 a.m. at Larae’s Studio in Huntington. Ages 10-18 years. Fees due upon making the team. This is for the Elite team only. Registration for all other cheer classes is in September, no try-outs necessary. For more information call Becky at 687-2632.
Junior Cheer Clinic
Junior cheer clinic ages 5-11 yrs. May 28 and 29, 9 a.m. -12 noon at Larae’s Studio in Huntington. $25 first child, $20 second. Includes a T-shirt and snacks. Everyone is welcome. Register by May 15. call 687-2632. Fundraiser for Emery All-Star Elites.
Summer Cheer Class
Summer cheer classes start June 15 – 29 at Larae’s Dance Studio. Ages 5-18 years. Learn cheer technique, tumbling, jumps, and age appropriate stunting. Register by June 1, call 687-2632.