Mackenzie Croy, 18, has watched from the sidelines nearly her entire life. This year she is a senior, so it was her last chance to be a high school cheerleader. "It was her dream to be a cheerleader," ...

MAYFIELD, Ohio -- The Sparkle Effect is a national, non-profit organization that pairs student cheerleaders with students with special needs. And while the shaking pom-poms do, indeed, sparkle, so, ...

KENT, Wash. - At Kentridge High School, the Sparkle Effect cheer squad is fine tuning its routines. The team consists of 22 students: 16 mentors and 6 students with disabilities. They perform at games ...

MEDINA, Ohio -- Some student-athletes shine. In Medina County, these student-athletes sparkle. Squads of cheerleaders known as the Sparkles liven the sidelines along with Hornets cheerleaders at ...

The Sparkle Effect, a program that began in the Quad-Cities and has gone nationwide, has received a major monetary award that will allow it to reach the next level, Sarah Cronk, one of its co-founders ...