East Bay cheer squad needs help to get to Nationals

ANTIOCH, Calif. - A Contra Costa County cheer squad qualified for the national competition in Florida, but the team is struggling to raise funds.

The Delta Patriots cheerleaders have spent weeks practicing every weekday evening at Meadow Creek Estates Park in Antioch to qualify for the competition. 

"They’ve put in a lot of work, and I’m so proud of them," said the vice president of the non-profit youth sports organization, Nicole Young.

It’s a dream come true for the girls, ranging from 6 to 13 years old. 

"These girls get the opportunity to do something that they might never get to again. It’s a lifetime opportunity to compete on a national stage," said Young.

Alaysia Waters, 8, said this would be her first time traveling to Florida. 

"My favorite thing about cheerleading is when we get to do jumps and cheers," she said.

In order to get all 18 girls to Florida to compete for the national title, they need about $1,500 per cheerleader, plus the expenses of the coaches, totaling nearly $30,000.

"We're trying to do everything possible to get them there," Young said.

Young said they’ve spent weeks fundraising through popcorn sales, but they’ve only been able to raise about $500 so far.

"A lot of the parents do not have the funds to send their kids," said a parent of one of the cheerleaders, Brandi Anderson. "We want them all to go so no one gets left behind." 

The Nationals competition takes place Dec. 4–8 in Kissimmee, FL.

If you’d like to help the team get to Nationals, you can donate to their GoFundMe.