CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) --Members of a southside cheerleading club are doing cartwheels over donations that mean they’ll be able to compete in national championships in Orlando this week.
Paulette Franklin, owner of Chi-Town CATS Cheerleading, said she set up a Go Fund Me campaign Tuesday night when she couldn’t sleep.
"I couldn't get the thought out of my head of one little gir. Her name is La' Mya and how her mom was really apologizing, but she just could not go," she said.
Four other girls, cousins, were going to have to drop out as well over financial issues after months of practice and coaches would have had to change the teams’ routines.
But donors answered the call- contributing more than $23,000.
One donor who identified herself as Jamila Anderson wrote on the Go Fund Me page, "I donated, because it's not fair these babies can't make their dream happen due to lack of funding. I want to see them make it."
Franklin said that the money raised will cover the $200 dollar registration fee per girl and more.
"All of us won't have to cram into one hotel room," she said jokingly.
"We can get more than one room now and hopefully they'll have a great time, a great experience, and a great competition".
Franklin said the older teams have already arrived in Orlando for the Open Worlds National Cheerleading Championship and even sent a picture of them doing a pyramid at the airport.
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