The Maize co-ed cheer squad won $1000 in a radio contest last week.

The Cheerleader Challenge was sponsored by Channel 96.3, KAKE news, VYPE magazine and Urban Air trampoline park. Any cheer team that knew of the contest had to enter a video showcasing the team in less than two minutes. The Maize Co-Ed team’s video was chosen as the best one.

“This year we tried to mix it up a bit and show people who we are, not what we can do as far as skill,” cheer sponsor Lori Clinton said. “The video was just a glimpse into what we do. Maize High Cheer is not normal. We don’t fit into the mold of a school cheer team.”

With their prize money, the cheer team will be raising money to send a veteran to the memorial in Washington D.C. They also bought flags and a banner for the Veterans Day Parade with Kansas Honor Flights.

The cheer team will also use the money for a Christmas celebration with their Project Shine members. Project Shine members are the special athletes who practice weekly and cheer at some of the home games with the cheer team.

“They bring so much joy to our team,” Clinton said.

The whole cheer team was ecstatic when they learned that they had won the $1000. They have already planned to use the money on their current philanthropies, and might use leftover money for a spring getaway for the cheerleaders if there is any left.

“We are always looking to see who we can cheer on or lift up,” Clinton said. “It’s never just about us.”