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TWHS Cheer Squad hosts 5th annual cheer camp for Home Place of Texas

By: Sean K. Thompson
| Published 07/18/2025

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THE WOODLANDS, TX – This week, a group of dedicated cheerleaders from The Woodlands High School hosted the fifth annual cheer camp for clients of Home Place of Texas, a Christian-based nonprofit organization with facilities located in Spring that empowers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead meaningful, enriched lives.

Partnership with organization that helps adults with special needs

Each summer, this unique camp provides an opportunity for cheerleaders to form meaningful relationships with the clients through shared experiences that include teaching cheers, playing games, crafting, and preparing a spirited showcase for friends and family. The event consists of four days of practice and training, and a ‘finale’ day that includes a cheerleading presentation for family and friends.

The genesis of the annual camp was in 2021, when eight cheerleaders and an equal number of clients got together that first year; despite the inauspicious start coming on the heels of the COVID pandemic, each new year brought more volunteers and clients. Today, more than twenty of each group – cheerleader and client alike – partook of what has become a beloved tradition.

This year, three incoming seniors volunteered their time, including Haley Vara and Avery Engdahl, who have been involved in and led the camp since eighth grade. Their long-standing commitment is a testament to the impact this experience has on both the volunteers and the clients.

“The week is filled with joy, laughter, and heartfelt moments that leave a lasting impression on everyone involved. By the end of the week, our hearts are overflowing with love and gratitude for being a part of Home Place,” said Ashley Harbin, the TWHS junior varsity cheer coach who previously coached cheer at McCullough Junior High for eight years.

Harbin was an integral part of the partnership between her talented cheerleaders and the special needs adults whose lives were bettered by the squad.

“Five years ago, one of the directors of Home Place was talking to a friend and I about possibly doing a cheer camp for her clients. I asked some of my cheerleaders to help if they were available,” she told Woodlands Online about those early days. Today, she beams with pride at the hard work of all involved.

“It’s the most fulfilling week full of smiles. The clients learn some of our sideline cheers and a dance routine. We also play games and do crafts.”

Harbin stresses that the camp is not a mandatory event for her cheerleaders, and these determined and dedicated students choose to give up their precious free time over the summer break to make a meaningful impact on the clients lives.

Woodlands Online congratulates the TWHS cheer squad for another amazing camp and wishes them well in their future endeavors. You can learn more about Home Place of Texas at https://www.hpotx.org/.

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