WESTBROOK, Maine — The last day of school comes with a lot of excitement, but also a bittersweet moment for dozens of students at Saccarappa School in Westbrook.
"It's sad because I was in this school since kindergarten and I'll miss it," Menerva, a fourth-grade student at the school, said.
Menerva is one of many graduating the elementary school and moving on to a new chapter. For a lot of them, this means saying goodbye to their favorite parts of the old.
"Hopefully they have cheer club at the new school," Jalalyna, another fourth grader, said.
Both of the girls are members of the Saccarappa cheer squad, and as they squeeze one last performance in before the bell rings for summer, the team has a lot to reflect on.
"Cheerleading is like my second home," Arcensiel said, one of the squad's members.
Those leaving this year will be missing the teamwork, stunts, and the person responsible for creating it all: Alyssa Cammack.
"Miss Cammack is a really good coach, I'm going to miss her," one cheer student said.
Two years ago, Cammack wanted to add an extracurricular to the school, without the usual barriers.
"We do it during the day to remove all the other issues that might come up like location and cost," Cammack said.
Since its start, Cammack has been giving up her lunch breaks to provide something accessible to all third- and fourth-graders. It's a sacrifice she said is well worth it, as she's been able to watch the positive effect it has had on both the school and its students.
"I love what it teaches kids. I love the confidence," Cammack said.
An even bigger confidence boost came during this year's season when Cammack was trying to upgrade the club's uniforms. The team has been rapidly expanding since the start, now with 54 kids total. Most of the gear used and worn by the cheerleaders is obtained through donations, so making new additions requires Cammack to get creative. But she was on a mission.
"I was trying to think of a way we could get them at no cost to us," Cammack said.
She was on the hunt for the ultimate cheer accessory: pom-poms. But knowing how expensive they are, she took what she considered "a shot in the dark." Cammack reached out to a few NFL cheer teams, asking if they'd consider donating.
"I honestly was not expecting it, let alone for the package to actually arrive here," Cammack said.
Long story short, Cammack got her wish. By the time the team was ready for their end-of-season performance, each student had their very own set of pom-poms.
"We all screamed!" Arcensiel said, describing the squad's reaction.
The excitement came not just from opening the box, but also from seeing where they came from. They weren't just any pom-poms, but ones used by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders themselves.
Now, for all the Patriots fans, before you ask, Cammack did reach out to the New England team, but they didn't respond. Not only did the Dallas Cowboys respond, but they did so within hours of Cammack sending an email, immediately offering to help out.
The pom-poms came with a signed note and photos of the Dallas cheerleaders.
"The kids were like, 'Those are real cheerleaders that held these poms?'" Cammack said.
For many of the kids, Cammack was able to make their wish of joining a cheer team come true, and this new addition granted another wish.
"I always wanted to have pom-poms," Finley, a squad member, said.
It's something the future generations of Saccarappa cheerleaders will never have to want for again.
"I'm going to keep them here at Saccarappa year after year so they can be used," Cammack said.
The gift, coming from a team with a nationally known legacy, will forever be part of this local Maine team as they continue building their own.