A new organization in New Canaan for young cheerleaders is seeking the community’s assistance in gathering needed items for a well-known nonprofit that helps feed food-insecure kids on the weekends.
New Canaan Jr. Cheerleading has an area set up at the New Canaan Police Department to collect specifically needed items (see list below) for Filling in the Blanks. The effort is also a fun competition with Darien Jr. Cheerleading next door.
Some items collected as part of the current food drive, at New Canaan Police headquarters.
We put some questions to NCJC Head Coaches Ashley McNeal and Laura Tucker amid the drive, which runs through Nov. 22.
Here’s our exchange.
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New Canaanite: Tell us about the New Canaan Jr. Cheer Team. When did it form, what does it do and generally speaking, who are its members?
Ashley McNeal: New Canaan Jr. Cheerleading launched this fall (September 2025), and is led by myself and Laura Tucker in partnership with the New Canaan Recreation Department. Zack Philippas, the assistant director of programs, was instrumental in helping the program to get off the ground so smoothly. The goal in forming NCJC was to provide a widely accessible youth cheerleading program for New Canaan children in grades 1-4. This first year we had 40 girls on the team! NCJC participates and cheers at the New Canaan Flag and Youth Football Games, and teaches children the fundamentals of cheerleading, leadership and teamwork. We focus on bringing the spirit to the sidelines at these games. Our ultimate goal is to expand NCJC to accommodate all ages in an effort to restore cheerleading programs, from youth to high school, in New Canaan.
How did the idea of a food drive for Filling in the Blanks come about?
Laura Tucker: In NCJC, we put an emphasis on community and partnership, and in an effort to demonstrate that, we collaborated with the Darien Jr. Cheer organization to leverage our friendly-town rivalry for good! We thought it would be fun to have a little competition involving both towns while working together for something positive. We chose Filling in the Blanks due to its wide-reach and ability to help communities near both Darien and New Canaan. We are thrilled to be partnering with Darien Jr. Cheer in this initiative.
Tell our readers specifically what they can donate and how to donate these items.
Ashley McNeal: Filling in the Blanks is collecting un-expired pantry items such as canned soups, microwavable meals, snack items, cookie/muffin mix, instant rice or potatoes are so examples (please see “most requested items list” for additional ideas, at right). Donated items can be dropped at the New Canaan Police Station, or brought to this Saturday’s (Nov. 15) Flag Football championship game at the Water Tower Fields from 8:30-10am. If readers are interested in contributing financially to the cause, they can reach out to ncjrcheerleading@gmail.com.
Talk to us about the partnership with Darien Jr. Cheer and other community organizations. Who is supporting this effort?
Laura Tucker: Darien Jr. Cheer is an incredible organization, and has been extremely helpful to us as we build out our new program. We continue to learn a great deal from them, and are looking forward to continuing our community-effort partnership with them in future years. The New Canaan Police Dept. has also been very supportive of NCJC. Earlier in October, we partnered with NCPD on their Coin Bucket Challenge helping to collect funds ($185) at a New Canaan Modified Tackle game in support of the Special Olympics. We’re grateful for their continued support as we look to build our community presence. The New Canaan Booster Club has also been helpful in organizing donations from individual sports teams in efforts to collect the most goods we can! Many local businesses have also agreed to help advertise the Cheer for Change drive with a flyer in their storefront.
What else, if anything, would you like to tell our readers about New Canaan Jr. Cheer or the food drive?
Ashley McNeal:We are excited about possibly starting a new tradition with Darien, and we hope that both of the towns are excited to work together on achieving something that will help others, especially right here before the holidays. We also believe Darien has a substantial lead on collecting a number of goods, so any donations to help New Canaan have a strong representation are greatly appreciated. The town who has collected the most goods will be announced as the winner at the Turkey Bowl. Please follow us on Instagram to stay informed on our program. Let’s go, New Canaan!