UA Varsity Cheer Team winner of NCHSAA Commissioner’s Trophy

Union Academy’s Varsity Cheerleading Team was awarded the NCHSAA Commissioner’s Trophy for Community Service at the 2023-24 Awards Celebration held in Greensboro on June 12. The team created a service project called “Cardinals Helping Cardinals” that sponsors a mini food pantry on campus that provides emergency food supplies for students and their families that face food insecurities. The program helps provide 8-10 backpacks of food each week to the school’s counseling department which are then distributed to those in need. Cheerleaders contribute to the pantry, accept donations, and pack the bags each week. Additionally, the team volunteers with the Community Shelter of Union County, InReach, and Operation Christmas Child and contributes to the Stocking Project through Alliance for Children and to Turning Point.

This is the second time UA’s Varsity Cheer Team has won the NCHSAA Commissioner’s Trophy for Community Service (2018-19).  

(from the NCHSAA website) The Commissioner’s Trophy Awards are designed to recognize member schools’ athletic programs that do outstanding work in community service. Schools had their “team or teams” identify a need within the community and create a plan to conduct the service project. Each team had a sponsor, who was a coach, faculty member, staff member or parent. They then submitted a 1-minute video of the project to explain how the team served, the impact the project had on the community, the number of people served, theme of the project, with photos and video from the event. Winning schools each will receive a $1,000 stipend for their respective team or school athletic program.

This year, the Commissioner’s Trophy is presented in partnership with Truist. Truist’s purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities making the company a proud supporter of the NCHSAA’s commitment to encouraging student athletes to strive to make their own communities better