NORWICH – The NHS Varsity Cheerleaders are teaming up once again with the school’s JV and Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball teams in the fight against cancer, as students and faculty prepare to host the 2nd annual Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser next week.

Athletes, coaches and cheerleaders will come together to show their support for the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer – a nationwide collaboration between the ACS and the National Association of Basketball Coaches established in 1993 – during Monday and Tuesday night’s varsity and JV home basketball games. Since its inception, Coaches vs. Cancer has raised nearly $50 million for cancer research and education.

This year, the NHS Cheerleaders have “stepped things up a bit,” said Varsity Cheerleading Coach Marie DeSarro, forming their own Relay for Life team, Cheer for a Cure. Any donations the cheerleaders receive during the Coaches vs. Cancer event will benefit their new Relay team. In addition, cheerleaders will once again sport Coaches vs. Cancer T-shirts designed by Fine Line Graphics. Donation buckets will be spread around the gymnasium area, added DeSarro, and information on the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life will also be available.

“I think it’s very important for the kids to be involved in an event like this, even if they might not realize how much weight their voice and actions actually carry in our community,” said DeSarro. “If they’re a good influence on their peers, more and more kids will become involved. And becoming involved at an early age, in most cases, will carry over into adulthood.”