Cheerleader 0f The Year: Wilson V.

Cheer New York is made up of adult men and women varying in ages, from all different walks of life. Each year we have approximately 30-40 Performing Members plus 15 or so Active Alumni and Auxiliary Members. Each November, the entire team gets all dressed up for our annual Cheer New York Awards Banquet. There are a handful of awards that the team gets to vote on, "Best Jumper," "Best Dancer," "Most Improved Flyer," etc. But there is one award, that is given by the Cheer NY Leadership, and it just might be Cheer New York's most coveted award..."Cheerleader of the Year!" The winner of this award embodies what Cheer NY is all about. They put their heart and soul into every practice, every event, every parade, raising money for local charities etc., etc., etc. We are fortunate enough to have many members of our team that could easily win this award, making leadership's job to pick only one person each year a bit difficult. But after careful consideration, leadership made their choice for the 2012-2013 recipient. Drum roll please.......

This year's Cheerleader of the Year is......

Wilson V!!!!

Wilson has been a vital part of this team since August 2009 and was a Co-captain for the 2011-2012 season. He is one of our strongest bases and one of our most talented tumblers.

He says that he is on Cheer New York because "It's a great way to give back to the community while doing one of my favorite activities, whether it be cheering, tumbling or dancing. I enjoy learning new skills and challenging myself with new stunts. But most of all, I've had the honor to meet some of the most incredible people in New York City."

Wilson makes time for Cheer NY after long days at the office as the Senior Account Service Representative for Turner Broadcasting. In his free time, he enjoys going to gymnastics classes, diving at Columbia University, coaching adults and kids in gymnastics, watching movies, and dinning out with friends and loved ones. The one meal that he just cannot get enough of is pasta, pasta, and more pasta!

What inspires Wilson? "My biggest inspiration has been my dad. He came from Cuba at the young age of 19 and was able to start a business, buy property, raise a family and become an American Citizen. He's inspired me to work as hard as I can in just about everything I do. It has affected my gymnastics, my education and my career in so many positive ways."

Giving back to the community, and raising money for charity is so much a part of this team, and a part of Wilson. "I really like how Cheer NY focuses on giving back to local organizations. How these organizations are small yet have a big impact in the community. Also, being that they are small organizations, we don't have to raise $100,000 for it to benefit the organization...every little bit counts, if it's 2k or 20k. These organizations do a lot for our community and I like to know that we can do a lot for them with the money we raise for them through our Cheer For Life fund."

Congratulations Wilson V!!! Thank you for your commitment and everything you do for Cheer New York.

Make sure you say hi to him at our next event, and congratulate him on receiving this prestigious award!

Who's Fabulous? Mark C!!

Cheer New York was at it again last Wednesday for another grueling practice. At the end of each practice, our leadership gets together and decides who should win that night's fabulous award. Some nights, it's a no-brainer and other nights, each of the teammates have worked equally as hard so it might be a bit tougher for them to decide. It's especially difficult when you have a teammate who is consistently fabulous, they can almost fly under the radar. That is exactly why Mark C. won last week. Since joining the team at the end of the summer, Mark has showed up to every practice and almost every event. He has helped a ton behind the scenes and always gives 110%. 

"I am so honored to be part of Cheer NY and to be recognized as fabulous. Thank you team for allowing me to be part of something greater than myself!" - Mark C.

Thank YOU Mark, for being so fabulous!
Cheer New York is taking a break from practice next Wednesday to go trick-or-treating! But keep checking in with our blog, we've got some great posts coming up from our most recent events!

Terry, You Are FABULOUS!

This past week, Cheer New York had an exceptionally amazing practice. We cannot wait to show everyone what we've been working on. Bases and back-spots were busy showing off their muscles tossing and flipping flyers all over the place. One strong base really impressed the leadership this week, which is why Terry R. won the Fabulous award! Terry is one of our newest newbies and has had such a positive attitude from the get-go. He has gone out of his way to get to know everyone on the team and gets involved at every chance he can.

"From day 1 Cheer NY has taken me in as one of their own, and that is why I'm fabulous... because this whole team is awesome!"
Congratulations Terry, keep up the fabulousness! We can't wait to see who steps up to the plate tonight when we join together again for yet another weekly practice.

And the Spirit Stick goes to... EMBER!

February is the month for love, and who better to give the Spirit Stick award to than one of the Cheerleaders we love very much? Ember D. won the Spirit Stick back in February and with her love of cheerleading and the team, she very much deserves this award. Ember has been a member of the team for two years and is one of the best flier's in the whole state of New York and we couldn't be more proud to have her on the team. She attends almost every event and is never afraid to try new stunts and is able to get them down instantly, even when she is being flung upside down or sideways.

Ember is very passionate about cheerleading and Cheer New York and says that she loves getting to tell her friends and family about Cheer New York, what we do and about the charities we sponsor. 

She even made the Spirit Stick a new bag! 

We love Ember's enthusiasm for the team and the talent she brings to the squad, which is exactly why she won the Spirit Stick award!

2009 CNY Awards: "The Fiercies!"

The team traded in their sweats and spankies for more far more upscale attire for Saturday night's event. It was the evening anticipated all season, the annual team birthday dinner and Cheer New York Awards night!

Our master of ceremonies, Director Felipe H. (above with asst. Captain Katie) set the fashion high bar, cutting a suave figure in his tuxedo. Other teammates followed suit, in beautiful cocktail dresses and upscale suits and ties. The fashion trends for the evening were shades of purple and debonair scarves. No reports on who people were wearing, but it wasn't Varsity! (Click pics to enlarge.)

The venue was Elmo, where the team gathered to celebrate the start of our eighth year together. Feasting on a buffet of chicken, salmon and mashed potatoes, everyone was buzzing, "Who would take home the coveted 2009 Cheer New York Awards?" With a team as fierce and talented as Cheer New York, it's anyone's game. The team and administration voted and the tallies were close.

But it wasn't only a celebratory dinner. The team took a moment to remember Andrew Jonas. Andrew was the founding director of Cheer New York and passed away just weeks ago. Leadership and members took some moments to share their memories, and pay tribute to his hard work and devotion that helped shape the team into the fantastic organization it is today. A moment of silence was observed, which was broken by the familiar and time-honored chant: "We are proud of you, we are proud of you!"

After the awards were handed out, delicious red velvet cupcakes, courtesy of Nicholas F. and Nicholas P. were happily devoured by all.


The coveted "Cheerleader of the Year" award went to flyer, Nicholas F. a recognition of his tireless commitment; to the team, to the sport, to our fundraising efforts.

Other CNY AWARD WINNERS were:
Cheer Loud, Cheer Proud Award 2009 - Nicholas F.
Best Jumps Award 2009 – Lamont J.
Deney Terio Dance Award 2009 – Lamont J.
Mary Lou Retton Award 2009 – Monica M.
Cheer for Life Award 2009 - Rick H. & Kerry H.
Unsung Hero Award 2009 – Ren F.
Miss Congeniality Award 2009 – Joey B.
CNY Auxiliary Award 2009 (new category!!!) – Jeffrey D.
CNY Most Improved Flier Award 2009 – Maiko N.
CNY Most Improved Mid-Base Award 2009 – Cameo B.
CNY Most Improved Base Award 2009 – Stephen D.
CNY Recognition Awards 2009: Katie M., Nicholas P., Lara B., Mike V., Scott W., Clay S., Felipe H.

Still going strong after eight years together,
pride and spirit, now and forever, Cheer New York!

To see more pictures from the night, check out CNY's Facebook Album.