ARLEY, Ala. – The Meek High School cheerleaders held their first Alumni Cheer event Friday, joined by 32 alumni who participated in the afternoon pep rally and planned to cheer on the Tigers that evening in their first round of playoffs.
Graduates from the 50s, 60s and 70s, along with more recent graduates, joined the varsity team.
Tammy Neal, who graduated in 1977, said, “It’s a different lifestyle from what I did in the 70s.”
She said many of the cheers and even the school colors have changed over the years.
“They taught us new cheers,” said Meek Cheer Coach Kristen Lawson McCay. “We have cheers from the 60s all the way through to our most recent cheers.”
McCay said a few of the alumni, eager to experience the fun of cheering on the Tigers again, had been asking her to host an event. “We’re trying to raise money for nationals, so it came at a good time,” she added.
The 15 varsity cheerleaders have been busy with fundraisers this year, holding nine different ones to raise enough money for the national competition in February.
“We’ve sold mattresses, we’ve done a raffle, we did a pre-game meal, about nine fundraisers, plus donations and we’ve still got three or four more fundraisers that we’ll do,” said McCay.
The Meek football team is undefeated this year (as of pre-game press time Friday evening), which has made for a great year for the cheerleaders as well, said McCay. “This has been the most fun year since I’ve been coaching cheerleading.”
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