Another Fundraising Success!

Being a part of Cheer New York for the last three years has had a plethora of fun and exciting rewards. We’ve been on television, met a surprising number of celebrities, and even performed on Broadway! But those are just added bonuses, because this amazing group of individuals didn’t come together just to meet celebrities. Cheer New York exists because of our entire team’s passion for contributing to our community and, of course, cheerleading. And trust me, when you see a cancer survivor pushing through that finish line; or a man teaching his granddaughter about the importance of giving to charities by inspiring her to put five dollars in our donation box at our Barnes and Noble fundraiser, the feeling you get is indescribable.

When I volunteered to organize the gift wrapping fundraiser over 2 years ago, I never dreamed it would become as successful as it has. Stationed once again at the Court Street Barnes and Noble in Brooklyn, Cheer NY wrapped from December 18th-December 24th, raising more than $2,000 in donations (gift wrapping is complementary), more than doubling last year’s total. The Bowery Mission was an obvious choice for this year’s recipient because of the amazing work they do for the homeless, especially during the holiday season. As CNYer Raelyn so perfectly explained, “The Bowery Mission is a shelter in Lower Manhattan that is focused on rehabilitation not enabling. The homeless community is not simply given food and then left to their devises. They are given hope and a new future with programs providing homes, food, and jobs.” According to The Bowery Mission’s website (www.bowery.org), $15.90 can feed and care for ten people. Our donation of $2,000 will help 1,258 people!! So, thank you to all the amazing people who donated this year and we’ll hopefully see you again in December 2008! –Kelsey M.