03/28/2006
Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA)
Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information, quotes, photo ops, call (800) 477-8868 or (910) 488-4618 or email cheer@cheerltd.com

FORT CAMPBELL CHEERLEADERS WIN SITA RED CARPET YEAR

(Enterprise, AL) -- The Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA) announced today that the Fort Campbell High School cheerleading squad from Ft. Campbell, KY, is the winner of the 2006 Red Carpet Year contest. Fort Campbell High School was selected from over 120 entries into the contest. Pam McFarland coaches the Ft. Campbell High School cheerleaders.

The purpose of the Red Carpet Year contest is to assist outstanding squads and coaches who have limited resources or are in immediate crisis. The cheerleaders at Ft. Campbell live in an atmosphere of crises. These individuals live daily with the fear of knowing their parents work in a challenging profession—the military. Many of these cheerleaders have parents deployed around the world working in war zones.

Coach McFarland says her cheerleaders all come from various backgrounds, call another state home, and have attended 5-8 schools from kindergarten to high school. What impresses her most “is the grace with which they handle all the challenges they face.” When her own husband was injured in Iraq, McFarland’s cheerleaders held this team together and supported Coach McFarland as she tended to her family.

Supporting their school athletic teams is their main purpose as cheerleaders, but they also contribute to their community. Hosting blood drives, working with the Ft. Campbell Youth Services, and working as volunteer coaches keeps these young people busy. These cheerleaders collected DVD’s and video games for injured soldiers and their families as they return home to Blanchfield Community Hospital.

When notified about winning the contest, the cheerleaders were “thrilled and shocked.” They are looking forward to having new uniforms to replace their twelve-year-old uniforms. The cheerleaders are also looking forward to this fall when they can spend less time fundraising and more time with family members who will be returning from Iraq.

SITA Chair Darren Thompson congratulates the Ft. Campbell High School cheerleaders and their coach. “We are honored to recognize this group of young people for their dedication, generosity, and patriotism,” stated Thompson.

The prize package this year includes uniforms, shoes, bags, camp clothes, summer camp, registration for two regional championships, registration to a national championship, registration for a coach and captain to a coaches’ conference and subscriptions to industry magazines. SITA and its member companies have provided all prizes for the Red Carpet Year.

About the Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA): The Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA) was developed to provide a common forum for companies doing business in the rapidly growing cheerleading and spirit market. The organization provides a forum to discuss issues facing this industry and to establish industry standards of excellence. The scope of issues that SITA addresses ranges from the overall growth and direction of the spirit industry to very specific yet common challenges faced by companies in the industry. Membership is open to company members, affiliate members, state association members, and international members. For more information about SITA, visit the web site at www.spiritindustrytrade.com.

For more information please click on this link:  www.spiritindustrytrade.com