The Junior Patriots Cheerleaders made their first co-appearance of 2012 with the Patriots Cheerleaders at the Harvard Pilgrim Road Race at Gillette Stadium on July 3. Thirty-eight Junior Cheerleaders enthusiastically motivated runners on the Gillette Stadium field as they crossed the finish line, beginning with the kid's race. The Juniors then broke out into groups for the opportunity to have a conversation with another junior cheerleader, learn some fun facts about her, and then stand up and introduce each other to the rest of the group. This drill taught the young girls public speaking, listening, teammwork and confidence skills.

Next, the juniors traveled up to Patriot Place where they were stationed with four different charitable partners to greet fans and use their new skills and draw some excitement to our charitable partners' booths.  The Junior Cheerleaders have learned that being a cheerleader is not just about being a leader on the sidelines; it's about being a leader in their communities. The Make-A-Wish Foundation, The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, New England Dairy and the Massachusetts Special Olympics were the four groups that the Junior Patriots Cheerleaders represented at this event. Each junior cheerleader that participated in our first community appearance earned her MHK; Myra Kraft, pin. The Patriots players proudly wear the MHK patch on their jerseys and the Patriots Cheerleaders wear their MHK pins to every game and community appearance, as a tribute to Myra Kraft, a great philanthropist.

The Junior Patriots Cheerleaders did an amazing job! They proudly represented the Patriots organization with spirit and energy and we thank all of them for their participation and support!  We're already looking forward to our next event!

Cheers, and we're getting excited for our game day performance with our Junior Cheerleaders on August 9th!