Erin Barile, left, and Erica Carlisle perform a dance routine at a Special Olympics Surry County cheer and dance competition last month. Another competition has been set for this Friday.
The St. Patty’s Day Cheer and Dance Competition will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday at Flyers Gymnastics Facility in Mount Airy. The competition is open to females and males ages 4 to 21, with the cost being $5 for participants and $2 for spectators.
Contestants can perform 1 1/2 minute routines in several divisions: individuals, groups of two to four people, and teams of five people or more. Competitions will be divided by mini clovers (ages 4-8), youth clovers (9-16), senior clovers (17-21), and Special Olympics open (all ages). There will also be a team clovers exhibition open to all ages and unified teams. Exhibition teams may consist of five or more participants who must be dressed similar.
Music is optional for all divisions, and tumbling and jumping are allowed. Stunting will only be permitted in the groups and team divisions. All routines will be judged based on each participant’s individual performance, and no prerequisite skills are required.
A first place trophy will be awarded in each division, with the grand champion winning $50. Exhibition teams are not eligible for any prizes. The competition will be judged by volunteers.
A dance with a DJ will immediately follow the competition. The dance will last until 11 p.m. Everyone is welcomed to attend the dance, which is a chaperoned event. The cost of the dance is $5. Last month the group sponsored its first dance, which featured two young DJs, decorations, concessions, and disco lights.
The events will serve as fundraisers for Special Olympics Surry County, which sponsors a variety of Special Olympics teams and events in the county and is solely funded through fundraising efforts. Special Olympics has hosted a few other cheer and dance competitions in the past few months.
Organizers have moved this month’s event to a Friday night instead of Saturday in hopes of attracting a larger crowd. The events allow Special Olympics athletes to interact with other competitors. The county has its own Special Olympics cheerleading team called the Honeybees.
Millie Hiatt, Surry County Parks and Recreation supervisor and local coordinator for Special Olympics, said at the last event, “It doesn’t matter what your ability or disability is. We’re all unified together ... That’s what I’m all about — the athletes having an equal opportunity to compete.”
She said the cheerleaders and gym facility employees came to Special Olympics and offered the facility to support the group. The cheer and dance competition this Friday will likely be the last one of the school year for Special Olympics Surry County.
Flyers Gymnastics Facility is located at 541 W. Pine Street, Mount Airy. Call the Surry County Parks and Recreation office at 401-8235 for more information.
Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.
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