Sarah Herr of Bettendorf, Iowa, shared the story of what she calls a wonderful, but perhaps unlikely partnership between a high school cheerleading squad and Hand-in-Hand, a nonprofit organization providing services for families with special needs.

The Pleasant Valley High School cheerleaders decided to create a high school-based cheerleading squad specifically designed to include students with special needs. To find potential participants, the squad volunteered to gather and cheer at Hand-in-Hand’s annual Family Fun Walk fundraiser. The group dressed in uniform and spent the morning managing the games and painting designs on eager little faces. During the walk, the girls cheered on the participants with shouts of “Hand in Hand, yes we can!” Through this gathering, the cheerleaders met several young girls and their families who enthusiastically supported the idea of starting a new cheer squad to include students with disabilities. Within two weeks, 10 girls with disabilities – from Down Syndrome to autism – signed on to be the first Spartan Sparkles. Since this time, the Sparkles have cheered through two football seasons and one basketball season in front of packed crowds and standing ovations. To express gratitude to Hand-in-Hand the cheerleaders gathered on a Saturday afternoon over the summer, collecting donations for Hand-in-Hand. The group raised both awareness and $2,000 in donations. Two weeks later, when they attended the next Family Fun Walk, the Sparkles had much to cheer about!