A student volunteer helps a member of the after-school cheer program work on her backbend.

A year and a half ago, three Lake Oconee Academy students who shared a love of cheerleading, started an after-school program at the Pete Nance Boys & Girls Club. Their goal was to introduce the sport of cheerleading to young girls in the community.

“Cheerleading had taught my friends and I so many important life lessons, we wanted to share those lessons with younger girls,” says program co-founder Madison Cantrell.

Fast forward to today, and the club’s after-school cheer program has grown from just eight girls to over 30. Classes are held twice a week and teach cheerleading and gymnastic skills, as well as life skills such as teamwork, resilience and determination.

“It is our hope that we will pass these values on to the girls and that these values will impact their lives for good,” said co-founder Katie Ciavola.

To help fund the program for the upcoming school year, the students are running a Flip Out for Shades Raffle. One hundred percent of the raffle proceeds will go toward purchasing the necessary equipment, snacks and crafting items used each week.

The raffle’s first prize is a pair of Ray-Ban aviators donated by Lake Oconee Eye Care. Second prize is a two-hour captained sunset cruise on Lake Oconee donated by Freedom Boat Club (on your choice of day, Monday through Thursday). Third prize is a $20 gift card donated by Chick-fil-A Lake Oconee.

Tickets for the raffle are $5 each. Larger blocks of tickets can be purchased at a discounted rate. Those interested in purchasing tickets should go to: https://bit.ly/2O01mdx to fill out the order form. (The form can also be found through the program’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pnccheer/). Payment instructions are given once the form is submitted. Entrants can pay via cash, check, Venmo or Paypal. Winners will be drawn live on the program’s Facebook page on Aug. 3.

“Every ticket sold will help create new opportunities for our cheerleaders,” says co-founder Ella Darby. “It’s a simple way to make a difference in the lives of these girls and will go a long way toward ensuring another successful year.”