On Friday September 27th the track at Don Richard’s memorial stadium shined a little brighter.

Our very own LHS cheerleaders were joined on the track by some of the high school’s brightest stars. Each year Lakeview students with disabilities become cheerleaders for a night as they are invited to cheer on the track for the first half of a varsity football game.

The students cheer as part of a program called the LHS Stars program.

Former Lakeview cheerleader, 2016 graduate Jenna Paskey, started this program and passed it down to current seniors Morgan Jankovich and Caitlin Dales when they were freshman.

Jankovich and Dales have been running the program for the last four years and have developed a great relationships with the kids.

Jankovich said, “I love the kids because they all have such happy, positive personalities and they make my day every time I see them.”

Dales said, “LHS Stars is one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences. Running LHS Stars with Morgan is one part of cheerleading I will miss the most.”

The students in the program cheer with the cheerleaders for the first half of the game and then they have the option to come back during fourth quarter and cheer over by the student section. There is also a varsity basketball game in which the kids can participate.

Though Dales and Jankovich are graduating, this wonderful tradition will continue. The two seniors are happy to pass the tradition down to current sophomore Ella Foertch, who will take over the program starting next season and carry on through her senior year.

Foertch says, “I’m so excited to continue this awesome tradition and it serves as a reminder of what it really means to be a cheerleader.”

The LHS stars program will keep shining for many years to come!