FAME’s “Cheerabilities” Team Takes National Championship at Hershey Cheer Competition
The Renovo Project Hope After-School Program recently surprised Slade Thompson with a party to celebrate his team’s triumph.
By Emily Wright
RENOVO—The Project Hope After-School Program in Renovo, led by Salvation Army Program Director Donna Kshir, held a surprise party on February 28 for one of its cherished students, Slade Thompson. The surprise celebration honored Slade’s recent triumph at the MCDA Chocolate Town Nationals cheer and dance competition in Hershey, where he and his cheerleading team clinched a national championship title on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
Slade is a proud member of FAME, a cheerleading group based in Bellefonte that embraces children of all ages and abilities. Last year, FAME cheer coaches Crissy Grove, Josh Wiedner, and Skip Headings launched the “Cheerabilities” team, which welcomes cheerleaders with disabilities. The Cheerabilities team includes Slade and 11 other remarkable young athletes, who proudly sport their uniforms in FAME’s distinct colors of red, white, and black, accented with FAME’s signature rhinestones.
Slade will turn 11 in April, and in his second year as a “base,” he holds a crucial position on the team. In cheerleading, bases are responsible for lifting and supporting “flyers”—the cheerleaders who are lifted up and launched into the air during stunts. Bases are vital to the team because they provide the foundation and stability needed to perform stunts safely.
Slade and his teammates have shown exceptional commitment to the sport by attending practice sessions in Bellefonte each week to hone their cheerleading and teamwork skills. “They practice every week and learn team bonding, skills, and [they] challenge themselves to do things they have never done before,” explained Slade’s mom, Layla Anthony. The FAME Cheerabilities team is bolstered by the guidance of Penn State cheerleaders, who attend practices to mentor the team by teaching them how to execute jumps, flips, and other cheerleading skills throughout the season.
The Cheerabilities team’s hard work has certainly paid off, having advanced to the “elite” competitive level this year. This advancement indicates that they have demonstrated the skills and talent required to compete at a higher level of difficulty, and their dedication to the sport was rewarded in spectacular fashion at the MCDA Chocolate Town Nationals in February, where Slade’s team claimed the national championship title. Each team member was awarded a medal, ribbon, and a commemorative t-shirt. Slade’s parents, Corey and Layla Anthony, were incredibly proud of both the team and their son’s accomplishments. To celebrate, they visited Hershey’s Chocolate World after the competition, where Slade enjoyed the Hershey’s guided tour with his teammates.
To foster a supportive and encouraging atmosphere at competitions, Slade engages in a cherished tradition he began with his mother. “Something fun we do before competition season is [we] make clothespins that we secretly ‘pin’ onto other cheerleaders,” Layla shared. The handmade pins are decorated with inspirational quotes or animals, serving as symbols of good luck and camaraderie. “It’s a way to spread positive vibes, wish good luck, and show support for one another,” Layla explained, adding that Slade loves to secretly pin other cheerleaders during competitions.
In addition to their competitive endeavors, Slade and his team promote inclusivity for teammates with Down syndrome by performing at events such as the Buddy Walk. This global initiative aims to raise funds and promote awareness, acceptance, and inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome. The Buddy Walk has become one of the largest and most recognized Down syndrome awareness programs, with events held across the U.S. and in select international countries. Every year, thousands of “Walkers” participate in Buddy Walks to raise funds for both local programs and national initiatives.
The surprise party at the Project Hope After-School Program was a testament to the community’s pride in Slade’s achievements and the joyful spirit he brings to those around him. Supported by his parents, Layla and Corey, his grandmother Karen Probst, and the whole Renovo community rallying behind him, Slade’s journey with FAME remains an inspiring example of perseverance, passion, and team spirit.
