Will County Gazette

The Orland Park Village Board honored several local athletes as the board handed out Community Pride Awards to Pioneer cheer teams during the board's meeting on Feb. 6.

Mayor Keith Pekau presented the Pioneer lightweight, junior varsity and varsity cheer clubs with Community Pride Awards, adding that handing out the honors was a special point of pride for him.

"As most of you probably know by now, I go way back with the Pioneers, all the way back to the very first game and the very first year," he said. "My sister was a cheerleader as well, so I go back all the way to the '70s with the Pioneers. All of the girls should be very proud of what they’ve accomplished, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to do what [they] did."

Pekau also reminded the girls to thank their parents for their contributions, especially driving them to practices and events, saying the Pioneers' success wouldn't be possible without their help.

The Orland Park Pioneers is a joint program consisting of football, flag football and cheerleading teams. The village board recently recognized the football teams for their success during the season, and councilman Brian Riorden joked that obviously the only reason the boys did well is because of the excellent cheer squads.

All three teams won first place in their respective division at the ICA State Cheer Championships this season. Each team received a plaque to commemorate the Community Pride Awards, and the board thanked the coaches for their efforts.

Registration for the teams is open through Feb. 25, and a free cheer clinic open house is scheduled March 4 for kids grades K-8. The clinic will teach the athletes basic cheer moves and skills while introducing students and parents to the program.