The Washington Redskins hosted the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, October 7th and featured a special half-time show with the Redskins Cheerleaders, Junior Cheerleaders, and 300 participants from all over to perform for the 2012 Spirit Explosion and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
I was honored to be a part of the event this year as a field coach/parent and coordinator for the Capitol Hill Cluster School. Having been a Varsity cheerleader in high school, I still have a special appreciation for and love of these two sports combined. With my daughter, Branaya standing up front with a case of the shivers, I can (secretly) admit that I understood just how nervous she felt. And now we know exactly how it feels to run out onto a football field in front of the largest crowd in the NFL with 85,000 cheering fans! Thankfully, the Cheerleaders were there with us to keep us all pumped up and warm. And the wave of thumbs up, cheers, and high-fives as we walked past the crowds certainly kept us gleaming!
From rehearsal to game day, the girls and I had a blast with our brightly colored, yellow shirts and fancy pink pom-poms. We even decorated our shirts with a personal touch. I would encourage every young woman and little girl to participate in this exciting and spirited event if you love to dance and move! But be ready to work it out! Not once, not twice, but many times the girls from the Cluster school heard me saying "let's move" and under the direction of Stephanie Jojokian, Director/Choreographer for the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders, all the participants were given a full routine to learn. They took to the field and surely rocked it as the stadium cheered them on and a handful of coaches and parents stood along the sidelines proudly watching.
The occasion marks a special time for my family to be able to show our love and support to all the loved ones lost to breast cancer and other forms of cancer. Less than a week before the event, Branaya's granny lost her battle to cancer, so we were truly touched by this event knowing she was watching over us and gave Naya the courage she needed to go out there in her honor. Thank you @Redskins for the opportunity and for all that you do to support the cause.
