JIM THORPE -- The Jim Thorpe Area cheerleaders have been cheering with heavy hearts this year.
Back in August, Taylor Shepherdson and Jasmine Fonseca were killed in a crash on Route 903 in Penn Forest Township.
Both girls were cheerleaders for the Olympians.
"I've kind of always thought of them as my babies and I took care of them. It's hard to cheer without them now," said Emily Leifholt, a senior on the squad.
The squad has carried on and is still cheering on the sideline of every game, but they've had a lot of help from other cheerleading squads.
Schuylkill Haven cheerleaders made a heartfelt card for the Jim Thorpe squad at a game a few weeks ago.
"It's helped us get through a lot, so if there's any way we can give back, we're all for it," said Day'janee Beckham, a Jim Thorpe area sophomore.
The Olympian squad came up with an idea. Usually, the team holds a "pink out" game, encouraging the crowd to wear pink at a Friday night game and the girls raise money for a charity.
This year, they're giving the money to a specific person: Schuylkill Haven cheerleader Carly Umbenhauer, who is undergoing chemotherapy.
"One of the girls from the squad that we're actually donating the money to coming up to us and saying that she couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to lose the girl that is going through chemotherapy right now on their team and I think it really hits home for both of our squads to come together and help each other out," Leifholt.
The girls on the squad say they can't wait until the stands are filled with pink.
They also say this year's pink out game with be one of the most important they've participated in.
"Since their cheerleaders did so much for us by supporting us, we wanted to give them the money for her treatment," said Dakota Cwiertniewicz, a junior who came up with the idea.
The Jim Thorpe squad says this is something Taylor and Jasmine would've loved.
"They'll be really happy looking over us, seeing the great things we're doing now."
The Schuylkill Haven coach says her cheerleader is overwhelmed with the love from the Jim Thorpe girls and just got cleared to put on a uniform and cheer again.
