CHEYENNE, Wyo. — “Hi there, do you want to buy a Cheyenne Frontier Days program?”
Stationed throughout the CFD fairgrounds, cheerleaders from South High School, sporting black bows and a “horns up” T-shirt, carry armfuls of programs and offer them to attendees for a price of $5. The programs, which are published by CFD, include a map of the grounds and daily itineraries.
When faced with this question, it’s typical for fairgoers to either politely decline the offer, ignore it or lie and say they already have one.
People shouldn’t be so quick to turn these girls down, though, as there are new events every day that can be hard to keep track of. Plus, the money is going to a good cause, said cheer head coach Madeline Moyte.
The Bison are raising money to attend the National High School Cheerleading Championships, or NHSCC, which is hosted in Orlando, Florida. The competition will take place Feb. 9–12 and costs anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 per person. The team is looking to send 16–20 cheerleaders this year.
“It’s a hefty price tag for our team to go,” Moyte said.
By helping with CFD program sales, the team will be able to receive some of the proceeds. The girls also plan to set up local fundraisers, including one at Beach Please Drinking Company on Aug. 15 and another at Chipotle on Sept. 9.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for our kids to get out into the community,” Moyte said. “New people who aren’t locals will get to see that we have great kids here in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and [getting] that extra exposure is great.”
The team has been participating in the sales for roughly five years, but this is their second time fundraising for NHSCC, Moyte said. In February, the team attended the championships for the first time and finished seventh in their group on the first day, earning a spot in the semifinals. They ended up finishing 18th overall out of 40 teams.
Now, after getting a taste of the competition, the girls hope to place higher in 2024, said South High Cheer co-captain Annalysica Aguirres. The rising senior handed out programs by the Main Gate near Old Frontier Town along with her teammates.
“We just really hope we can fundraise enough money for our girls to go and have a great time, have a good experience and fundraise even more to help the girls next year,” she said.
