Number of Participants: 35
Hours Donated: 45
Value of Time Served: $54,794
Event Type: Civic & Community
Activity: Cheerleading
School: John Jay High School
Date: January 7, 2026
Location:
John Jay High School
New York 52, Hopewell Junction
East Fishkill
About:
This season, our team continues to dedicate time to serving our community in as many meaningful ways as possible. We began in August by hosting a school-supply drive to support a local elementary school, helping stock their student supply closet so every child has access to essential materials throughout the year. Shortly after, we volunteered at the Sparrow’s Nest Superhero 5K, cheering on runners in the pouring rain and assisting event organizers as they raised funds to provide meals for families facing a cancer diagnosis.
Throughout September, our team brought joy to local children and families by running a face-painting and balloon-animal booth at two community events—Family Fun Day at Sensory Stepping Stones and East Fishkill Community Day. In October, we hosted our annual Patriot Palooza cheer competition, where we sold t-shirts and held a 50/50 raffle to benefit the Glio Leo Foundation, supporting individuals battling Glioblastoma. We also attended the Hudson Valley Honor Flight for the second year in a row, arriving at Stewart International Airport at 6:30 AM to cheer on veterans as they departed for Washington, D.C., honoring their service and sacrifice.
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we sold pink bows leading up to our Pink Out football game and displayed them along the field fence with the names of survivors and loved ones lost to the disease. In November, our team sponsored a full Thanksgiving meal for a local family—from breakfast to dessert—ensuring they had everything they needed for a special holiday. We also made and donated hundreds of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to Hope On A Mission, a local organization that supports individuals experiencing homelessness or food insecurity. We plan to continue serving HOAM throughout the winter season with more meal donations and street outreach. Currently, we adopted a local family and next week we will do our annual shopping trip to the mall, where each athlete on our team has a portion of our family’s “wish list”- from food to presents and we divide and conquer, making sure we provide them with everything they need to have a very merry Christmas.
As we move into basketball season, we remain committed to our Unified Cheerleading Program, celebrating athletes of all abilities and cheering alongside our Unified basketball players and their buddies. As a varsity team, we know our community supports us in countless ways, and we believe it is our responsibility to give back with the same enthusiasm. “GO BE GREAT” isn’t just our motto…it’s the way we strive to lead, serve, and make a positive impact every day.
