HONOLULU (AP) — An Oahu cheerleading team that traveled to California for a competition almost didn’t make it to the stage after their uniforms were stolen.
The Aloha Cheer Academy from Waipahu was in Sacramento on Saturday night when their belongings were stolen from two rental vans while they were at dinner, KITV-TV reported (http://bit.ly/1Mm4BTd).
“When the girls walked out and saw that, they just broke down and started yelling, crying. Everything that was going on in their mind was…are we still able to compete?” Coach Royce Machado said.
The thieves had taken the cheerleaders’ bags and shoes needed for Sunday’s competition.
Machado said they couldn’t get much help from the authorities and were told to “just go online and write a report.”
The team, which had spent nearly a year training and raised thousands of dollars for the championship, then shared their situation on social media and hoped for the best.
The cheer squad ended up getting in contact with a California cheer academy that provided them with shoes so they could compete.
Despite the mishap, the team was able to earn a spot to compete in the World Championships in Florida next month.