Rally! Season 3, Issue 6: March 2024

“March:” aptly, a movement month

March springs PCA into motion down St. Patrick’s Day Parade routes from Sacramento to Seattle, but also reminds us of important community movements and causes:

March is Women’s History Month with March 8, International Womens’ Day, being a call for positive change advancing all women. Until every gender is celebrated every day, we’ll continue to celebrate #IWD on March 8!
 

March is also about LGBTQ+ health and wellness, with Zero Discrimination Day on March 1 to combat discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 10), National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 20), National LGBT Health Awareness Week (18th - 22nd), and Bisexual Health Awareness Month.
 

The month of March culminates International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) on March 31. Unlike the more solemn emphasis on Trans Day of Remembrance (November 20th), or Transgender Awareness Month (November), this day is an annual celebration of all transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people, including the more than 2 million across the U.S. and their lives, joy, contributions, and resilience of transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people.

This annual observance and idea behind TDOV was created in 2010, by activist Rachel Crandall, out of the need to refocus media and news attention off of the continuous violence against trans people, and onto a fuller picture of the complexity, nuance, and authenticity of living visibly transgender. While the celebration is highlighted in March, the best way to honor the diverse community of trans and gender non-conforming folks is by amplifying and celebrating their voices every day, continuing to combat the spread of disinformation, and actively showing up as an Ally against discrimination and hate. You can learn more about Transgender and Non-Binary people through organizations like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and find more resources and tips on how to be an Ally for the Transgender Community through the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Thank your PCA Delegate for all they do!

Every PCA Member Team has a Delegate who represents them on the PCA Delegation. The Delegation meets monthly. These meetings are opportunities to receive announcements, ask questions, share ideas, invite teams to events, admit new teams into PCA, and cast votes that guide PCA’s direction. The Delegation is where PCA multi-team engagement thrives and collaboration can benefit all teams.

Ask your Delegate about some of these pertinent items. What should you know? How can you benefit and contribute?

• PCA Volunteer Demographic Survey (for every volunteer to fill out)

• Member Team Data Sheet (for every team to fill out)

• #PCAPrideTour 2024 Event List

• FREE PCA Educational Course: “Understanding Money”  (April 4 & 11)

• “Spring Into Pride” gifts from PCA to each team (coming soon!)

The PCA Delegation is led by Delegation Liaison Valerie Winkle who works directly with the PCA Board to keep checks and balances in place and keep lines of communication open! Anyone may reach out to her at any time: liaison@pridecheerleading.org

P.S. Click here to learn how to contact your Delegate!

In each issue of Season 3, we release a “FACES of PCA” video interview, filmed in January 2023 by David Smith. David is a videographer and sport psychologist, and a dear friend to PCA who sees us from the inside out. Watch these personal stories and you will appreciate the tangible benefits of exercise, sport, philanthropy, and community that we’ve experienced through adult cheerleading.

March FACES of PCA video: It’s Valina Eckley

Let’s be serious. You all know Valina! Valina is PCA’s Vice President, a Co-Founder of PCA, and a Co-Founder of Cheer Salt Lake. Valina takes us back to her PCA beginnings in this video - October 10, 2010 was the exact date she first set foot (or held a foot) at a PCA event. Valina celebrates PCA every day of her life. So we take all the chances we get to celebrate her. Enjoy her FACES video… and… this little surprise: the public release of her #TeamVal performance, the first performance video PCA has released from Sin City Classic 2024.

March’s Featured Partner Organization is Cheer MixALot. (Peep their Instagram to see why we picked March 🕺🍀.) Owner Mike V. was a long-time volunCHEERleader for Cheer New York. Cheer MixALot has donated-in-kind to PCA in the form of original, custom music for our live performances and consultation and educational webinars about music licensing laws. Because Cheer MixALot supports the advancement of charitable cheerleading, Mike makes sure we understand all the cheer music risks and benefits that apply to us. PCA fam, email mike@cheermixalot.com with questions! And if you know anyone who needs to purchase original custom music done the legal way, we’ve got a referral promo to share: New clients mention “PCA SENT ME,” complete your order, and Cheer MixALot will donate $50 to PCA! (Terms and conditions apply)

Every year since 2021, PCA has surveyed its Member Team volunteers to learn more about who we are. The survey includes questions about identities and involvement. It is an opportunity for people within our organization to voluntarily provide PCA with information that helps us understand our present level of diversity and also to set goals toward becoming the broadly representative and fully inclusive organization we aim to be. Ask your Member Team Delegate or any member of the PCA Equity and Inclusion Committee for the link today! Survey closes March 31, 2024.

FSP Designs continues to be PCA’s preferred partner for cheerleading apparel and fan gear! What new items do YOU want to see for Summer 2024? Email marketing@pridecheerleading.org with suggestions and inspiration!

10% goes back to PCA on every order! Click here for fan gear!

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