Photo courtesy of Nevada Cheer Team Children from the community perform with the University of Nevada, Reno cheerleaders during a football game against Colorado State University on Oct. 11. The children and cheerleaders sported pink shirts in representation of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Photo courtesy of Nevada Cheer Team
Children from the community perform with the University of Nevada, Reno cheerleaders during a football game against Colorado State University on Oct. 11. The children and cheerleaders sported pink shirts in representation of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

By Maddison Cervantes

“Cheer through actions, not just words.” Meaghan Mackey, University of Nevada, Reno sophomore and cheerleader described the mentality of Cheer4Kindness in six words.

Cheer4Kindness is a university-based organization with a mission to gather outspoken and compassionate students and community members to join together while inspiring kindness through different movements.

“Anyone can be a part of it, not just cheerleaders,” Mackey said. “We’re trying to create the largest cheerleading team in the world.”

Cheer4Kindness began in October when Brian Williams, Nevada cheer alumni and founder of Think Kindness, an organization that inspires measurable acts of kindness in schools and communities throughout the world, discovered the Nevada cheerleaders’ potential in participating in and fostering volunteer work.

The cheer team has accumulated over 1,000 community service hours this past year, and each cheerleader maintains a large following on social media, according to Mackey. After Williams contacted Kim Anastassatos, the head coach of the UNR cheerleading program, with interest in the team, Cheer4Kindness was established.

Since October, 2,000 members have signed up to support the organization’s objective and spread the significance of kindness throughout the community.

Through social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, Nevada cheerleaders promote their individual and team challenges as a method of spreading the Cheer4Kindness mentality. Williams also sends a weekly email to anyone associated with the organization.

Thus far, the team has encouraged and participated in challenges such as a canned food drive, posting what each member is thankful for on social media and providing their rival teams with goody bags.

“This month, we are doing a toy drive as a team challenge, and possibly sending in Christmas cards to Think Kindness so they can send them to Africa in the beginning of January,” Mackey said.

Anastassatos explained that the cheer team has partnered with former Associated Student of the University of Nevada President Casey Stiteler’s foundation, Casey’s Project. The cheerleaders have helped with Casey’s Project’s toy drives and will continue to do so.

Through Stiteler’s struggles with a brain tumor and a year of aggressive chemotherapy at 11 years old, the tedium of a hospital room became apparent to him.

“One of the hardest things about that year was the boredom,” Stiteler said.

Stiteler explained that throughout his year of treatment, many different organizations and community members reached out to support his family. When his treatment was over in 2002, Stiteler had an urge to help the community that had cared for him.

“I started a school project to collect toys for local pediatric facilities,” Stiteler said. “The project quickly snowballed as more families and businesses got involved in the project and when I would visit different offices, they would often refer to the toy drive as ‘Casey’s Project.’”

According to Stiteler, the first year was a success for the project, which led to a toy drive each year following. Eventually, Casey’s Project became an official nonprofit organization, and the Nevada cheerleaders have contributed with their volunteer work.

“We have partnered with Casey’s Project through Cheer4Kindness to help spread the word that hospitals need toys all year long and so Christmas is the perfect time to bring awareness,” Anastassatos said.

The cheerleaders helped Casey’s Project in delivering toys to Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center last month, and according to Stiteler, the response from the patients and staff was wonderful.

Stiteler said that with the help of the Nevada cheerleaders, much more awareness will be brought to the cause.
The cheerleaders’ and mascots’ participation in Casey’s Project’s events and others helps to create a special occasion for those involved, Stiteler added.

This Friday, Dec. 12, the cheerleaders will be continuing with their volunteer work at the Toys for Tots event in Carson City, Nevada.

Junior and Nevada cheerleader Savannah Newman stated that the most gratifying aspect of the volunteer work is the chance to spend time with and get to know the children who they are helping.

The cheerleaders have partaken in volunteer work for children in multiple different settings, such as Spirit Halloween’s, a Halloween costume organization, the annual Halloween party at Renown Children’s Hospital. During the party, the cheerleaders supplied the children with costumes and treats while interacting with them.

“Opportunities like that are so rewarding because we get to help them forget about the pain that they may be feeling as well as put smiles on their faces,” Newman stated.

Maddison Cervantes can be reached at mcervantes@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @madcervantes.