[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1755-E1756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    OUTSTANDING NEW JERSEY CHEERLEADERS OF SHORECHEER INTERNATIONAL

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 1996

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity 
to meet with Mr. Louis Pulcrano, coach of a unique group of students 
from Monmouth and Ocean Counties, NJ. These outstanding young women are 
members of ShoreCheer International, dedicated to excellence in 
cheerleading and service to their communities.
  Not only have these athletes earned prestige for themselves in 
national and international cheerleading competitions, the young women 
have demonstrated great virtue and devotion in caring for those in need 
around them.
  I was particularly moved by a special visit the young women of 
ShoreCheer made recently to Montoursville, PA, in a effort to help 
comfort those mourning the loss of family and friends who perished in 
the TWA Flight #800 tragedy. The cheerleaders spent time with their 
peers at the Montoursville High School and delivered messages of 
support and love. Once again, in a moment of sadness and need, these 
young women offered their time and energy to brighten the lives of 
others.
  Mr. Speaker, I respectfully submit for the Record, an article written 
by the girls' coach, which outlines their numerous achievements and 
contributions to the community. I would first like to include a list of 
the names of the young women of ShoreCheer, so that we can all applaud 
their notable athletic distinction and, most importantly, the great 
kindness they show to others--something that impacts us all.


[[Page E1756]]


       Senior All-Stars: Beth Allen; Wendy Dailey, Traci Mayer, 
     Jill Balinski, Beth Hager, Heidi Farnham, Shannon O'Malley, 
     Lauren Petty, Suzanne Heyniger, Kelly MacDonald, Melissa 
     Lennon, Erin Lacey, Kristi Pilgrim, Brittany Larkin.
       Junior Prep All-Stars: Laura Stogdill, Jenifer Vienna, 
     Lauren Rogers, Anna Norcia, Danielle Berkely, Kristine 
     Triola, Charolette Yorgenger, Nicole Gashlin, Kyle Allen, 
     Rachelle Rose, Meghan Ward.
       Junior All-Stars: Krystle Berryman, Jenny Biancella, Julie 
     Biancella, Caitlin Bilotta, Gina Cifelli, Brianna Dwyer, 
     Amanda Foderaro, Megan Jakubowski, Lauren Krueger, Tara 
     Luchetti, Nicole Masiero, Kristen McCormick, Lauren 
     McCrossan, Melissa Millen, Krissie Previte, Amber Tempsick, 
     Lauren McCormick.
                                  ____
                                  
       With so much negative publicity directed toward today's 
     youth, we in New Jersey take great pride in a very special 
     group of young athletes, who have emerged, not only leading 
     their State, but leading their Nation as well in the 
     promotion of pride, honor, and dignity.
       They have been called, ``A fine example of what the youth 
     of America can accomplish'' by President of the United 
     States, Bill Clinton, as during the past 7 years of their 
     existence, ShoreCheer International, a cheerleading, 
     educational, and community service program for youth of all 
     ages, has won 125 trophies on the local, State, national and 
     international levels and over 100 honors and recognitions all 
     on the national and international levels for their community 
     service and caring for others in need.
       These very special young adults have accumulated some very 
     special achievements over the past 7 years. They have coached 
     one of our Nation's few cheerleading squads made up of 
     handicapped children and successfully trained and entered 
     them in major cheerleading competitions in 1993, 1994, and 
     1995. A music video was made of these dedicated young ladies 
     working with these special children and it ended up being 
     used as a training tape for Special Olympics in China. In 
     1994, the group produced a second music video promoting the 
     ``Cheerleaders Fighting Cancer'' program, challenging every 
     cheerleading squad in America to donate 5 percent of all 
     money raised to help put an end to the disease of cancer. 
     That same year, they were selected and honored for the second 
     time by the President of the United States for winning the 
     1994 CANAM International Sportsmanship Award, presented to 
     just one out of 60,000 cheerleading squads in North America.
       They were 1995 International Championship trophy winners in 
     Myrtle Beach, SC, where, after saving up for this trip for a 
     year, gave up their only day of sun and fun on the beach, 
     visiting and paying tribute to the local police, visited a 
     nursing home where they delivered homemade cookies and 
     ended their day visiting a hospital, delivering personal 
     get-well messages to every patient in the hospital and 
     stuffed animals to every child there as well.
       In 1992, they were selected as one of just two high school 
     youth groups out of over 400 high schools in their State to 
     speak and perform at the Governor's Summit on Drug and 
     Alcohol Abuse and have lectured numerous other young adults 
     on the dangers of drug, tobacco, and alcohol abuse and the 
     importance of practicing proper values.
       Members of ShoreCheer were selected by the motion picture 
     industry to coach movie star Chirstina Ricci, star of 
     ``Casper,'' ``The Addams Family,'' ``Mermaids,'' ``Then and 
     Now'' for her next motion picture, ``Last of the High 
     Kings.'' ShoreCheer Senior All-Star Lauren Petty was selected 
     and featured on the front cover of American Cheerleader 
     Magazine as ``National Cheerleader of the Month'' for 
     February 1996. This year, and for the third year in a row, 
     ShoreCheer will be representing cheerleaders from across the 
     Nation as they have been selected and will perform in the 
     Miss America Pageant Parade in Atlantic City.
       Program cheerleaders have raised and donated funds to Hale 
     House in New York City for babies born addicted to alcohol 
     and drugs, to the Make-A-Wish Program, to the New Jersey Food 
     Bank, the Red Cross, and Cheerleaders Fighting Cancer. They 
     have twice performed half-time shows for the NBA New Jersey 
     Nets.
       The program received its spots highest honor when it was 
     selected and won the 1995 National Outstanding Cheerleading 
     Program of the Year Award for 1995-96. And most recently, 21 
     ShoreCheer International cheerleaders made a 500 mile, 10 
     hour round-trip to Montoursville, PA, on a mission of love 
     and caring and to help in the healing process in a 
     community which lost 21 of its members, including 16 high 
     school students, in the TWA Flight 800 tragedy. The 
     ShoreCheer girls met with the Montoursville High School 
     Cheerleading Squad and presented them with six large 
     megaphones containing close to 1,000 signatures and 
     messages of support from cheerleaders all over the 
     Northeast United States, a red rose for each family of the 
     victims and had a star officially named ``LoveCheer 800'' 
     in honor of those lost in the TWA tragedy. It was the 
     words spoken by ShoreCheer cheerleader Lauren Petty which 
     bonded the two groups together in a very special 
     friendship as Lauren spoke these words of the twenty one 
     victims:
       ``By reaching out with our hearts, no distance is too great 
     to conquer and it is the love in our hearts that has brought 
     us here today. And as the fingers of their love and the 
     fingers of our love reach out and touch each other here 
     today, we have bonded with them in eternal friendship--21 new 
     friends who will be with us in mind and heart always.''
       The six megaphones will be placed on the Montoursville 
     Athletic Field where two of the victims who were cheerleaders 
     would normally cheer during the football season.
       To date, ShoreCheer International Cheerleaders have 
     performed live in front of over 2 million spectators from 
     every State in the Nation and their dedication to dignity, 
     honor, respect, pride, community, and those in need has won 
     them recognition on four continents. This very special 
     program and its very special young athletes can best be 
     described by the words of the Governor of Alaska, Walter J. 
     Hickel, ``All of America is proud of you!''

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