Guest Author: Sheri Dolan Sanders ’80
As a 1980 RHS graduate, I have always enjoyed RHS Homecoming and seeing the alumni of the band, twirlers, dance team and cheerleaders come back for alumni night at the football game.
My daughter Carly Sanders is a Riverside senior this year (class of 2020) and she comes from a long line of RHS cheerleaders. I was a cheerleader in my day, and so was my mother, Judy Lukshaw Dolan, class of 1959.
Last year, Carly asked if I would cheer with her for alumni night and I chickened out. I promised her that I would her senior year, and that led to this year’s Homecoming activities and Alumni Night at the football game.
But Carly took it a step further. She thought it would be fun if both my mother and I cheered with her, together on the field just this one time, and a moment we would never get to have again. With one day of practice we convinced my mother to join us.
We concentrated and practiced just three cheers. On Homecoming night at the appointed time, my mother and I, along with several other alumni, joined the varsity cheerleaders on the field. We did the three cheers we practiced and were done for the night.
I thought the experience would be terrifying, but it was not. In fact, it was a lot of fun, as you can see by the smiles on our faces. The other varsity cheerleaders were so nice and welcomed all the alumni.
