I want you to imagine your favourite team’s cheerleaders. When all us sports fans think of NFL cheerleaders, we all get the same thoughts -WOOOOOO! But now picture that same cheer team with shaved heads? Still feel the same way?
Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano has been battling Leukemia and has received lots of support from fans and players shaving their heads. This was applauded and respected by fans around the league, but it was this past Sunday that the support took an even bigger step.
Last week the Indianapolis Colts mascot set up a challenge with the team’s cheerleaders on Twitter. The challenge: if he could raise $10 000 would a Colts cheerleader be willing to shave her head to help raise money towards cancer research?
Blue, the mascot, raised $22,000, and in-turn, two Colts cheerleaders stepped up after the 3rd quarter in Sundays game against Buffalo. In front of 60,000 fans the cheerleaders had their heads shaved.
After reading the girls’ post-game comments I could not help but to seriously applaud them. Megan M., the first cheerleader to receive the buzzin’ said, “It was really overwhelming. People were cheering so loud and I could just feel the pride they had for our team that we were able to do something like this.” Crystal Ann, being the second cheerleader alongside Megan, were both down-playing the situation about them shaving their heads and commented, “We just shaved our heads, these people are battling life threatening illness. They are the ones that deserve the praise.”
To add to that, one of their ponytails were chopped off and donated to the “Locks of Love” Foundation, which provides hair pieces for children under the age of 21 in Canada and U.S.A.
I felt this was very heart-warming to hear, because we all know how important hair is for a woman. Imagine being a woman who is basically on display every Sunday infront of America, and be willing to jeopardize that.
Well done girls, and Blue. Top Class!
