Rio Americano Cheerleaders Help Win Cell Phone Contest

students have won a local radio contest to collect used cell phones.

Rio cheerleaders led efforts to collect the retired phones for the Cell Phones For Students contest sponsored by Metro PCS and KSFM 102.5. The school collected 379 phones, or more than one-third of about 1,000 phones that were collected from 10 schools.

For their efforts, the Rio cheerleaders were presented with a check for $2,500 at a rally Friday. KSFM will also put on a dance for students.

"I was really excited when I heard the announcement (on the radio)," said Andrea Cracchiolo, the cheer team captain.

The radio station had approached the school to see if it would participate in the contest, which ran from for five weeks from October to November, said Demeris Athey, Rio's varsity cheerleading and dance team coach.

"We said we'd be bringing fun to the school,"Athey said. "Why not do it? We had nothing to lose."

KSFM tracked the contest results online and made announcements on air.

The Rio cheerleaders made announcements at school and used word of mouth to get their classmates to pitch in while also taking to Facebook and Twitter.

"Our winter dance had been cut so that was enough motivation for us," Cracchiolo said.

She and Athey said the money will likely go to the junior varsity and freshmen cheerleading coaches. Rio cheerleaders hold fundraisers year round, including car washes and sales of coffee, cookie dough, homemade blankets and holiday candy bags.