This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

NFL Cheerleaders and Alumni Cheer for Breast Cancer Awareness

AnnMarie Baranik, local writer for Patch, goes back in time and cheers at the Buffalo Bills vs. Philadelphia Eagles game last Sunday in support of Breast Cancer awareness month.

(Police reporter AnnMarie Baranik, local writer for Patch, goes back in time and cheers at the Buffalo Bills vs. Philadelphia Eagles game last Sunday in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We asked her to write about it.)

Last Sunday, 180 Buffalo Bills NFL alumni Cheerleaders strut onto the field and performed with pink pom-pons for Breast Cancer Awareness. 

Our own writer for Studio City Patch was among them being a Buffalo Jill back in 1986 to 1988. The oldest alumni involved was 69 years old.

Find out what's happening in Studio Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Even though the media only gave it about 10 seconds worth of time, it was a possitive experience.

These women, alumni and current Jills, put a whole week into practice for a cause. Many of them leaving thier home towns, spending money and time away from thier families to bring awareness to breast cancer.

Find out what's happening in Studio Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On the field on game day were breast cancer survivors and one alumni, Katie Loyd was there cheering for her mom who is currently going thru treatment.

"My Mom was diagnosed at stage two and had had a mammogram the year before, that is how quickly the disease can spread" said Loyd. She had a poster for her mother signed by everyone there pledging to get mamograms.

The director Stephanie Mateczun and choreographer Kelli Wagner spent months organizing the event and it turned out spectacular.  It is just a shame that the NFL couldn't have recognized it a little more. The efforts for all of those involved were huge so please take a momment to look at the video and comment.

Patch writer AnnMarie Baranik was there supporting her closest friend Pam Paterra who is a survivor and had this to say of the experience.

I was not especially thrilled to hear that in order to be involved in this event I would have to buy a plane ticket from Los Angeles to Buffalo, spend a week there in rehearsals, get a hotel, rent a car and to top it off the Bills Organization wasn't even giving us the uniform (with sponsors it cost $75 a person).

I actually decided to do it at the last possible minute.  I was pleasently surprised though at how amazing all these participants were.  Everyone was friendly and down to earth even if we were older and not as in shape as we were 20 something years ago. The rehearsals were professional and the hard work payed off in an amazing performance that gave me chills being in it. It proved the caliber of performers that the Buffalo Jills have chosen throughout the years. 

That being said it is painful that the NFL and the Buffalo Bills couldn't even give these women a ticket to see the game. 

It's actually embarrassing how much the players are making and that these talented women that have supported them thru the years are never payed. It has always been a proud moment in my life to say I was an NFL cheerleader, but it also proves that the priorities of breast cancer awareness was not even a good enough cause for them to even televise the efforts of these amazing women. 

I would love to here comments from our viewers on this topic. I don't regret a minute of it for this great cause. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?