Zlata's Cheerleading Journey

Hello,

My name is Sam Santaniello the owner of Jersey Legends All Stars Cheerleading located in Freehold NJ. For those of you who don’t know, last December I was contacted by the principal from one of the local elementary schools. He introduced me to a young girl who had recently been brought to the country from Ukraine. Her name is Zlata. She is 10 years old. She came to this country in March of last year, and her journey to the United States had not been an easy one. She tragically lost both of her parents and is currently living with her adopted grandparents and her 7 year old sister. When Zlata started, she had no background in Cheerleading and spent 6 hours a week with me, a complete stranger speaking a different language. If you can imagine, she started out as a shy, timid little girl. But by the end of the season, her smile was bigger, her laughter was louder, and it seemed as though she found her home. For a young little 10 year old that is new to the country, language, and sport, it didn’t take me long to realize she has a gift.

My boyfriend and I sponsored her last year so she could pursue her dream as a Cheerleader. Although I am able to waiver her tuition to Cheer at my gym, this year we are looking for additional assistance as her expenses are greater for things like Uniform, Bow, Competition Fees, Music, Choreography, Travel Fees, Etc. We are reaching out to all of our family and friends for support to assist Zlata's journey.

Without your help, this won’t be possible.

From the bottom of my heart, Thank you!