Poms Peppy Primary is a traditional, semiannual fundraiser for the Poms program. Children aged 8 to 12 came together on Sept. 26 to learn a dance combo to perform at halftime for the following night’s football game.
Led by varsity coach Brittany Smith and JV Coach Dana Fry, the Poms Peppy Primary has been around for a decade, using it as a time to help young dancers gain exposure to a higher level of dance, Fry said. The event is beneficial for the current Poms team as well as the kids, as it allows them to work with other dancers and showcase their talents. The varsity team, ranked sixth in the state, uses this time to bond as a team while helping the younger girls become better dancers.
“This event helps bond our poms girls together,” Fry said, “I think it’s a good experience for them to have the opportunity to work with the younger dancers.”
The girls expressed their excitement for the event as well. They got the opportunity to show off their skills to young dancers and help them improve their abilities. Anna Werab, a member of the JV Poms team, was one of the many girls looking forward to teaching in this round of Peppy Primary.
“[I was] excited because I love teaching kids at my studio, and this is similar,” Werab said.
The team uses this event to raise money for uniforms, buses, and their annual trip to UDA camp at Northern Illinois University in the summer, Fry said. Since LT identifies Poms as an activity, they don’t have as much funding as the athletic programs tend to have. Poms hosts Peppy Primary twice a year, once in the fall for football and again in the winter for basketball season. The hope is to lessen the fees the dancers on the team will eventually have to pay as a part of the player package.