Special to the Transcript
What could be better than school children and teens leading the cheers for our local sports teams? It’s a town favorite! And in Winthrop, that’s exactly what happens — dozens of local youth with their infectious energy, getting us on our feet cheering for the teams we love.
With a generous grant from Winthrop Foundation, the nonprofit Winthrop Viking Youth Cheer now has two new full sets of mats, replacing old, worn-out, heavy practice mats in favor of new, padded mats that are much safer for the youth cheer teams to practice on.
The Winthrop Foundation is a 501c3 that was founded in 2019 with the support of former House Speaker Robert DeLeo, generously funded by Massport, and led by Chairman Russ Sanford and Trustees. The Foundation has awarded dozens of grants to local organizations since its founding, with nearly $160,000 in grant money awarded this past fiscal year alone.
The Winthrop Viking Youth Cheer program is open to grades K through 8th, with 115 girls enrolled, and made up of six teams: five competition teams and a kindergarten game-only team. Each team practices at least twice a week, mid-August through mid-November. During practice, they learn to stunt (in pyramids), tumble (gymnastics), cheer, and dance, and every team learns a 3-minute minute routine. The new mats have already been put to good use!
The cheer teams go to all youth football game to support the players and get the crowd cheering. Youth cheer also participates in two competitions each season: “Cheer for a Cure” Cheerleader Invitational hosted by the Ipswich High Varsity Team (a fundraiser for Ipswich High Cheer and breast cancer) on Oct 28, and the New England Cheer & Dance Competition in Boston at the Reggie Lewis Center on Nov 11.
For more information about youth cheer, contact [email protected] or visit https://www.facebook.com/winthropvikingyouthcheer/
To learn more about the Winthrop Foundation or apply for a grant, visit www.winthropfoundation.us. Grant applications from nonprofit organizations, volunteer groups, and public-serving entities that aim to make a positive impact on our town are welcome.