Springfield High School cheerleaders
Varsity
Libby Bonn, soph.
Brooklyn Cordell, jr.
Ema’nie Davis, soph.
Erika Henry, sr.
Crystal Lloyd, sr.
Tiana Moss, sr.
Taylor Tanyhill, jr.
Antonia Turner, soph.
Jade Tyree, sr.
Junior Varsity
Tyla Biles, soph.
Olivia Browning, fr.
Jhane’ Carter, jr.
Taja Harris, fr.
Cecilia Lemelle, fr.
Jenna Leventhal, soph.
Rachel Orwick, soph.
Ajanique Taylor, soph.
Freshman
Justice Elliott
Esperanza Hall
Nakia Henry
Kayleigh Johnson
Anabelle Knisley
Kennadi Robinson
Tanaysza Taylor
Haley Wiederhold
Coaches
Head coach Joanna Perdue, assistant coaches Jamie Easterday and Meagan Biglow
The cheerleaders from Springfield High School will celebrate Thanksgiving with their families today like most Americans — sitting around the table with loved ones, eating a little too much turkey with all the fixings, and finishing it off with a slice of pumpkin pie.
And, thanks to the Wildcats cheerleaders, an additional 11 families around Springfield will do the same.
Second-year coach Joanna Perdue and her squad of 25 students donated 11 Thanksgiving meals to families in need. The meals — complete with a turkey, green beans, macaroni and cheese, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pop, and of course that pumpkin pie — were delivered last Thursday. Middle school cheerleaders donated Kroger gift cards.
It’s one of the numerous community service projects the Wildcats have undertaken. In September they worked at the Springfield Soup Kitchen. They plan to provide the Soup Kitchen with baked goods to serve with Christmas meals. Also in December, Perdue plans to have the cheerleaders work with special needs children and perform a halftime show at a boys basketball home game.
So far Operation: CHEERS for Thanksgiving, as Perdue dubbed the project, hit home the most for her cheerleaders. Among the 11 families, one had just moved out of a homeless shelter. Another lost everything in a fire. Nine of the families had a student in the Springfield school district.
“I’ve never gone without a Thanksgiving meal so I can’t imagine what it would be like to not be able to have one,” said senior Jade Tyree. “Most of them looked like they were going to cry. It was really sweet. They just thanked us. A lot.”
Added senior Erika Henry: “The families were really happy about it and grateful. We got to see their faces light up when they got their baskets. That felt good.”
As for Perdue, she’s experienced both sides. The Springfield South football team delivered presents to Perdue’s family when she was in high school.
“My mom, she tried, but we didn’t have a lot either,” said Perdue, a 2001 South graduate. “My mom was a single mom, so the little things we got meant the world to us. For a high school football team to do that was really nice.
“I’m really big in community service with my children. I try to teach them to be humble and right from wrong. I expect the same out of my girls.”
Students in the Springfield City School District are required to have 60 hours of community service in order to graduate.
The Wildcats said they would still spread their good cheer around Springfield without that requirement. And they hope it catches on with additional Springfield teams and area schools.
“When coach told us (we were doing community service) I was very surprised and excited,” said sophomore Antonia Turner. “I wanted to text some of my friends and tell them about this. I want a lot of teams to work in the soup kitchen and deliver Thanksgiving Day meals. It reflects off the community. They come and watch us at the football games, so it’s great to give back to them. I think it should spread.”
Tyree agrees. She said she’ll be more thankful today when she recalls the blessings in her life. At one of the homes the cheerleaders visited, Tyree said the children didn’t have clothes. When they worked the soup kitchen many of the visitors were as thankful to have someone to talk to as they were getting a warm meal.
“It really brightened their day that we were in there,” Tyree said.
That’s what gets to Turner the most, too.
“When I do this, I don’t really remember what they say but their smiles,” Turner said. “My heart just melts because of their smiles. They are crying and thanking us so much for the food. It makes me think: We have all this stuff and families can’t afford a meal. Wow, that sticks with me.”
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