Four cheerleaders of the new 19-member Winslow High School Unified Cheer Team cheer on their school’s unified basketball players. From left are Jocelyn Lizzotte, Kylie McCafferty, Henry Olson and Kennedy Dumond. Submitted photo

WINSLOW — When a group of special needs students at Winslow High School expressed interest in being cheerleaders, senior Adeline “Addie” Blackstone decided to make it happen.

With full backing by the school administration, a commitment by 13 of her fellow Winslow varsity cheerleaders to be mentors, and financial support from the ShineOnCass Foundation, Coach Blackstone is now leading the school’s first Winslow Unified Cheer Team.

Unified sports combine students with and without intellectual disabilities to play on the same team to promote inclusion and acceptance. Multiple area high schools, as well as the Alfond Youth Community Center, have unified basketball teams that compete against each other. Thanks to Blackstone and the varsity cheerleaders, Winslow now has its first unified cheer team, according to a news release from Monica Wilcox Charette, executive director of ShineOnCass.

Winslow High School Unified cheerleaders at practice after the school started its first unified cheer team. Spotting, left, on the floor, is Addie Benavente, Maya Veilleux, Jocelyn Lizzotte, and Kylie McCafferty at the top of formation; Nydia Alverado, faculty coach; Kennedy Dumond, spotter, right, on the floor; Hayden Breton, with Coach Addie Blackstone, right front, cheering them on. Submitted photo

ShineOnCass Junior Service Awards are presented annually to service-focused students at Messalonskee, Waterville, Lawrence and Winslow high schools in memory of Cassidy Charette, Wilcox Charette’s daughter. Charette, a Messalonskee junior who died in a hayride accident in 2014, was a longtime community volunteer and youth mentor. Blackstone received her school’s ShineOnCass Junior Service Award last year, along with a $100 gift by the foundation to pay it forward. Blackstone said the honor inspired her to “go further” to spread kindness.

“I have such compassion for the students in the Unified community who don’t get the same opportunities that I do,” Blackstone said in the release, sharing that she did some research, wrote a proposal, and presented her idea to start a unified cheer team to school. “When I won the ShineOnCass Junior Service Award, I knew that this was exactly how I wanted to pay it forward — to honor Cassidy, and spread her light,” Blackstone said.

But there were a few things needed to get started, like uniforms for the 19 cheerleaders. Inspired by Blackstone’s volunteer work, the foundation provided additional funding so that the team would have matching T-shirts to wear at all games.

“I am so thankful for the support of my community and from ShineOnCass for helping me make this happen,” Blackstone said. “It’s gone far beyond what my dreams could ever have imagined. Getting to see how much the students love cheering and how much joy it’s spreading throughout the community is incredible to watch.”

Brooklyn Michaud, center, is supported by fellow Unified Cheer teammates from Winslow High School at practice in preparation to cheer on their school’s unified basketball team. Spotting Michaud, from left, are Coach Addie Blackstone, Maya Veilleux, faculty coach Nydia Alverado and Hayden Breton.

Winslow students, as well as parents and other community members, are filling the bleachers at home games in support of both unified basketball players and the sport’s new cheerleaders.

Kelly Daignault, unified science teacher and the cheer team’s student advisor, notes the positive effect from partnerships between students and peer mentors: “We are so fortunate to have caring students at Winslow High who want what is best for their peers. As a Unified Champion high school, our teachers work together to bring the philosophy of inclusion into the classroom and do whatever we can to support them.”

Debbie Michaud, whose daughter Brooklyn is a special needs student on the cheer team, says Brooklyn is most excited when she is cheering on her peers. “Allowing Brooklyn to have the opportunity to cheer makes my heart so happy,” Michaud said. “Brooklyn has such joy, and this experience allows her to share that joy with everyone around her. When she is on the sideline cheering, she is a student like everyone else.” For Brooklyn, it is just pure happiness being part of a team. “I love my cheer friends! And I get to wear a bow!”

Upcoming games have been scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Feb. 11 and 13, at Winslow High School.

Addie Blackstone, center, along with fellow Winslow Varsity cheerleaders mentor special needs students to bring Unified Cheer to their school’s sports program. Front, from left, are Blackstone and Maya Veilleux; second row, from left, Paige Owen and Henry Olson; and visible in back row are Kennedy Dumond, Brooklynn Michaud, Addie Benavente and Kylie Barron. Submitted photo

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