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NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Inside the P.S. 89 auditorium in the Allerton section of the Bronx on Wednesday night, the Panthers cheerleading squad was giving their community a sneak peek at their routine for nationals.
"Proud" was the word of the night—and rightfully so. After the team finished first at the UCA regionals back in December, P.S. 89 became the first public middle school from the Bronx to qualify for the National High School Cheerleading Championship.
Head coach Angelica Reyes knew this year's squad was special.
At $1,300 per cheerleader, the community pitched in. State Sen. Jeff Klein presented a donation to help make this dream come true. Then the team got a phone call from a P.S. 89 alum donating $5,000. The moment they realized everything was paid for was too good for words.
The team will head to Orlando this weekend where they will have some fun at Walt Disney World and compete in the non-tumbling Junior High School Division Championships.
P.S. 89 will be competing on Saturday in Florida where they have one thing on their mind: gold. And we're confident the Panthers will be bringing it home.