Mukwonago cheerleaders fundraising for Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade trip

MUKWONAGO, Wis. - Some veterans in Mukwonago hope to give a few athletes the experience of a lifetime. But they need your help to pull it off.

Cheerleading success

What we know:

Lacey Janick loves being a cheerleader, and two of her biggest cheerleaders are her parents. "They put a lot of time in and last year they went to state. They finished second in state," Ken Sallee said about his daughter, Janick, and her friends.

Ken and Melissa Sallee were thrilled to learn their daughter and two of her friends were chosen to represent Varsity Spirit. The group held a cheerleading camp at Mukwonago High School last month and recognized these three athletes as All-Americans.

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"That was just like an amazing opportunity for us. We never dreamed we would make it to an opportunity like that," Mukwonago High School senior Sophia Domke said.

Opportunity to perform at Pear Harbor

What we know:

Along with the title comes an opportunity to perform in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade on Dec. 7 in Hawaii. The honor means just as much for Janick's parents, who are both Army veterans and history buffs.

"I’m just super humbled knowing that it is Pearl Harbor. And we cannot just chaperon but also mentor girls to this historic place," Melissa Sallee said.

All three families need to pay their own way to Hawaii. The Sallees said airfare, hotels, meals and more for the Sallees as chaperons and the three girls adds up to just under $20,000.

"I didn’t really know where to get started, so I’m grateful to Lacey’s mom to get everything together," Mukwonago High School sophomore Kennedy Basterash said.

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The girls now have just two weeks to come up with the cash. The ceremony marks 85 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, where more than 2,000 people died. The girls hope to honor them and the veterans who will be at the parade along Waikiki Beach.

"We’re only sitting here because of those men and women that lost their lives there," Ken Sallee said.

And like any good cheer, they just need a boost to get there. "I’ve learned a lot from my parents about history and what’s important about it," Janick said.

Donate

What you can do:

You can help the girls out by donating to their GoFundMe campaign.

Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.

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